Variations in the Rotation of the Earth

Variations in the earth's rotation (UT1) and length of day have been tracked at the submillisecond level by astronomical radio interferometry and laser ranging to the LAGEOS satellite. Three years of regular measurements reveal complex patterns of variations including UT1 fluctuations as large...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1984-06, Vol.224 (4652), p.957-961
Main Authors: Carter, W. E., Robertson, D. S., Pettey, J. E., Tapley, B. D., Schutz, B. E., Eanes, R. J., Lufeng, Miao
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Angular momentum
Artificial satellites
Astronomical research
Astronomical rotation
Astronomical spectroscopy
Atmospherics
Earth
Earth rotation
Geodesy
Geophysical research
Laser
Lasers
Observational astronomy
Observations
Observatories
Radio astronomy
Rotation
Satellite communications
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Summary:Variations in the earth's rotation (UT1) and length of day have been tracked at the submillisecond level by astronomical radio interferometry and laser ranging to the LAGEOS satellite. Three years of regular measurements reveal complex patterns of variations including UT1 fluctuations as large as 5 milliseconds in a few weeks. Comparison of the observed changes in length of day with variations in the global atmospheric angular momentum indicates that the dominant cause of changes in the earth's spin rate, on time scales from a week to several years, is the exchange of angular momentum between the atmosphere and the mantle. The unusually intense El Niño of 1982-1983 was marked by a strong peak in the length of day.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.224.4652.957