Quake moved Japan coast 8 feet, shifted Earth's axis

[NeoConsSuck]

Source: CNN

(CNN) -- The powerful earthquake that unleashed a devastating tsunami Friday appears to have moved the main island of Japan by 8 feet (2.4 meters) and shifted the Earth on its axis.

"At this point, we know that one GPS station moved (8 feet), and we have seen a map from GSI (Geospatial Information Authority) in Japan showing the pattern of shift over a large area is consistent with about that much shift of the land mass," said Kenneth Hudnut, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Reports from the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Italy estimated the 8.9-magnitude quake shifted the planet on its axis by nearly 4 inches (10 centimeters).

The temblor, which struck Friday afternoon near the east coast of Japan, killed hundreds of people, caused the formation of 30-foot walls of water that swept across rice fields, engulfed entire towns, dragged houses onto highways, and tossed cars and boats like toys. Some waves reached six miles (10 kilometers) inland in Miyagi Prefecture on Japan's east coast.



Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/japan.earthquake.tsunami.earth/index.html?hpt=T1

[elocs]

1. Yeah, I read about that here this morning:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x624148

[Demeter]

2. Would that it had moved public opinion on the suitability of nuclear power plants as far

[peacebird]

3. good grief! It shifted the earths axis? That is pretty amazing....

not to mention moving the island by 8 feet....

[stockholmer]

4. hopefully shifted to the LEFT

:fistbump:

[Corruption Winz]

10. This just in....

Rush Limbaugh has deemed the planet a socialist.

[BadgerKid]

5. Is this LBN? -- Links to 5 other threads:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4767957

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=624148

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=621877

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=616245

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=439&topic_id=616351

[trof]

6. I thought the end of the world wasn't until 2012.

jeez
:-(

[Rex]

11. This is just the warm up.

:(

[jwirr]

7. Interesting. So what happens in our nice orderly solar system when

one of the planets decides to go off on its own?

[DissedByBush]

8. Maybe of them hits another

In about a billion years or so

[Peace Patriot]

9. God knows! I've never heard of such a thing before. Shifted the earth's axis? nt

[SemperEadem]

12. the 2004 quake/tsunami did the same thing

I think the term was the earth wobbled on its axis... it was smaller than this one was.

[Auntie Bush]

14. What will be the ramifications of the earth shifting on it's axis? Where

is the Science Guy when you need him? Actually, I really want to know?

[AngryAmish]

16. This

short documentary

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

13. The Moon is drifting away at a couple of inches a year.

Also an axis shifter.

[zehnkatzen]

15. This is actually a common thing.

It's the way the planet works. It's just that its more noticeable, the bigger the quake.

Compared to the scale the whole planet itself is on, a shift of 4 inches is beyond infinitesimal. It's incredibly interesting, however.

[MzShellG]

17. Sounds like earth-crust displacement.

That phenomenon discussed in the 2012. And how ironic that's it happening so frequently, the closer we get to the year 2012. Didn't this happen after the Chilean earthquake as well?