News articles

Earthquake in Chile causes days to be longer

Since the earthquake in Chile in February 2010, the "Höhere Geodäsie" [Advanced Geodesy] research group at the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics at the Vienna University of Technology (TU Vienna) has been helping measure the earth on a global scale. First results indicate that the rotational speed of the earth has become marginally slower and days have become longer by 0.3 microseconds.

Image 1: Destructions in Concepcion

1 of 4 images or videos

Image 1: Destructions in Concepcion

Image 1: Destructions in Concepcion

Image 2: Horizontal shifts measured with GPS (C) TU Wien

1 of 4 images or videos

Image 2: Horizontal shifts measured with GPS (C) TU Wien

Image 2: Horizontal shifts measured with GPS (C) TU Wien

Image 3: The TIGO radio telescope, Concepción, Chile with the TU Vienna working group (from left: Dr Robert Heinkelmann, Dr Johannes Böhm, Dr Harald Schuh, Dr Jörg Wresnik)

1 of 4 images or videos

Image 3: The TIGO radio telescope, Concepción, Chile with the TU Vienna working group (from left: Dr Robert Heinkelmann, Dr Johannes Böhm, Dr Harald Schuh, Dr Jörg Wresnik)

Image 3: The TIGO radio telescope, Concepción, Chile with the TU Vienna working group (from left: Dr Robert Heinkelmann, Dr Johannes Böhm, Dr Harald Schuh, Dr Jörg Wresnik)

Image 4: VLBI measurement results from TU Vienna (C) TU Wien

1 of 4 images or videos

Image 4: VLBI measurement results from TU Vienna (C) TU Wien

Image 4: VLBI measurement results from TU Vienna (C) TU Wien

Shift and deformation of the tectonic plates can be detected significantly

Vienna (TU). – On 27 February 2010, one of the strongest earthquakes of recent decades (magnitude 8.8) destroyed large parts of Chile's third-largest city Concepción and its surrounding area (see Image 1). At a central location, experts from the TU Vienna Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics have contributed to the important geodetic measurements that were carried out both before and after the earthquake. Highly precise geodetic measurements play an important role in geodesy (the measurement of the earth), in order to observe natural disasters and examine their causes. The measurements make it possible to determine with great accuracy the deformations in the earth's crust and the shifting of the tectonic plates. The GPS station in Concepción, which continued to operate without problems both during and after the earthquake, measured a shift of nearly 3 metres to the west (see Image 2). The movement vectors in this image indicate that the entire South American plate has not just "wandered over" to the west, but was instead "pulled apart".

"Observations using the radio telescope in Concepción will provide further important information on plate movement using the Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) process," speculates Dr Johannes Böhm, Head of the VLBI group at the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics. Image 3 shows the radio telescope, which fortunately was hardly affected by the earthquake, and the TU Vienna working group. Current VLBI analyses at the institute confirm the suspected shift of approximately 3 metres to the west and 0.65 metres to the south (Image 4).

Effects on the Earth's rotation: days are becoming longer

Experts suspect that the earthquake has also influenced the Earth's rotation. The shift of mass within the Earth's crust, caused by the earthquake, is affecting both the rotational speed of the Earth and the direction of the axis of rotation, which contributes to polar motion. Using data about the magnitude of the earthquake and the deformations caused by it, the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics is in the meantime determining the effects of the earthquake on the Earth's rotation.

First results indicate that the rotational speed of the earth has become marginally slower and days have become longer by 0.3 microseconds. In the coming months, polar motion will deviate by approx. 2.6 milliarcseconds, which corresponds with 7 cm on the Earth's surface, due to the earthquake in Chile. Dr Harald Schuh, Head of the Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics at TU Vienna and President of Commission 19 "Rotation of the Earth" within the International Astronomical Union (IAU), confirms that "evidence that suggests a sudden shift of the Earth's axis of rotation is not correct, according to these results."

Observations which were carried out using global navigation satellite systems, such as the American GPS or the Russian Glonass, or using the VLBI technique are currently being analysed to confirm the earthquake's effects on the Earth's rotation. "This is not a simple task, as there are countless other factors that influence the Earth's rotation besides the earthquake, such as strong winds or ocean tides," stresses Dr Tobias Nilsson, who is responsible for the corresponding work on the simulation model. Using modern geodetic measuring techniques, the geodesists' research will help improve the prediction of natural disasters and the possibilities of warning of these disasters shortly before they occur.

<link>Download photos

Links:


For more information, please contact:
Vienna University of Technology
Institute of Geodesy and Geophysics
Gußhausstraße 25-29, 1040 Vienna, Austria
<link http: www.hg.tuwien.ac.at _blank link_intern>

www.hg.tuwien.ac.at, opens an external URL in a new window



Dr Harald Schuh
T: +43 (1) 58801 - 128 60
<link>harald.schuh@tuwien.ac.at
Head of the Institute

Dr. Johannes Böhm
T: +43 (1) 58801 - 128 64
<link>johannes.boehm@tuwien.ac.at

Dr Tobias Nilsson, project assistant
T: +43 (1) 58801 - 128 49
<link>tobias.nilsson@tuwien.ac.at

Author:
Vienna University of Technology
Public relations Office
Bettina Neunteufl, MAS
Operngasse 11/E011
1040 Vienna, Austria
T: +43 1 58801 41025
M: +43 664 484 50 28
<link>pr@tuwien.ac.at
<link pr _blank link_intern>www.tuwien.ac.at/pr