Earth & Geology

25 Facts About Earthquakes That Reveal How Fragile the Ground Really Is

Fact 1 of 254%

Earthquakes can actually change the length of a calendar day.

Earth's rotation is slightly altered by massive shifts in mass.

Massive seismic events can redistribute the Earth's mass and shorten the length of a day. The 2011 Japan earthquake accelerated the planet's spin by 1.8 microseconds.

"The 9.0 magnitude quake shifted Earth’s axis by about 6.5 inches."

This subtle change is permanent and demonstrates how seismic power affects planetary physics.

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