[SOC] Atomic clocks vs. earthquakes

[Michael Coslo]

On 3/5/10 2:08 PM, "fipo" <fipo at optonline.net> wrote:

> What good is a clock that neither gain nor lose one second in 3.7
> billion years, when an earthquake in Chile may shorten the day by 1.26
> microseconds.

That's how we found out the day was shortened.

Anyhow, the earth used to have shorter days, they are lengthening all the
time, except when something like the Chilean Earthquake happens.

I didn't hear about the exact mechanism for the speedup, but I suspect it is
a conservation of momentum / centripital force thing.

So any clock that is that accurate will constantly have to be adjusted. Most
years these days have a "leap second" added. We've achieved such accuracy
that no clock is accurate! Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

    - 73 de Mike N3LI -