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Splish-splash, quake and roll: our living planet

By Alynia Rule | News-Journal Staff Writer

Hurricanes, tidal waves, mud slides, floods, blizzards, twisters, sink holes... sometimes it seems as if our planet is about ready to break apart. It's scary when the ground under our feet doesn't seem solid or when the water on what appears to be a calm ocean comes ashore and causes massive devastation. Are things really as bad as they seem? Is the planet really coming apart at the seams? It might appear so.

Road and construction personnel approach 70-foot sinkhole taking out all four lanes of Howland Boulevard at Forest Edge Drive in Deltona on Saturday, December 18, 2004. (News-Journal/CHRISTINA BURKE)

In 2004, Florida was hit by a series of hurricanes which brought flooding and mud slides to the area. Multiple sinkholes caused not only loss of property but traffic woes as well. It may seem like the appearance of sinkholes has increased over the years, but geologists say the sinkholes are actually a part of Florida's natural environment and not as vastly destructive as the public may think.

So is there a reason for the global woes? To some degree, yes. Our planet is actually, well, alive. Molten masses of liquid iron in its core actually move the crust which produces earthquakes and vulcanic eruptions. While this explains the earth moving under our feet, how does it explain the hurricanes, blizzards and rain? These are weather conditions and not affected by the core far below... or are they? How can the core of the planet, something deep under the surface, affect the atmosphere, something far above the surface?

Flood waters, left behind from Hurricane Jeanne, surround homes in the Glen Abbey development, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2004. (News-Journal/BRIAN MYRICK)

The answer is simple and not so simple. Weather has a connection to the length of day, which is approximately 24 hours long. Length of day is controlled by the rotation of the planet; the earth's spin on the axis. It's not a fixed length or time. It changes when the core does something big, like with a tidal wave or earthquake. These can bump the earth, interrupting its spin and that affects the length of day which in turn affects weather.

According to a news release from NASA on January 10, the Indonesian earthquake affected Earth's rotation. It decreased the length of day by 2.68 microseconds, this may not seem like much, but for a planet the size of earth, it's a huge jump. Physically this is like a spinning skater drawing arms closer to the body resulting in a faster spin. The quake also decreased Earth's oblateness (flattening on the top and bulging at the equator) by a small amount and it shifted the North Pole by centimeters. According to Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, "Any worldly event that involves the movement of mass affects the Earth's rotation, from seasonal weather down to driving a car."

While the planet may seem to be coming apart, in reality it's actually coming together. The net effect of all this wild planet activity is a slightly more compact Earth. Which means, today we could be standing on a little more solid ground than we were last year.

Try these activities using The Daytona Beach News-Journal!

1. Over a period of several weeks, collect newspaper stories about natural disasters. Using a world map, plot their locations. Then, brainstorm with classmates or family some possible reasons for these disasters. Are they re-occurring events or new? Have they broken any historical records for that area? Was there a warning system set up letting people know ahead of time? Make a list of factors (such as weather conditions or geographic location, economic situation, for example) that may have contributed to the danger. (Sunshine State Standards: SC.B.1.2.4, SC.D.1.2.3, SC.H.1.2.2, SC.H.2.2.1, SS.B.1.2.1)

Washout!

Firefighters Lt. Jacob Wilkerson, left, and Engineer Ed Fust, look at the washout Monday in Cascade Park in DeLand. (News-Journal/CHRISTINA BURKE)

2. Columnists and reporters often write about natural disasters. Try your hand at writing a newspaper column about something our planet "did" in your area. Use The News-Journal to choose a newspaper columnist whose work you enjoy. Clip several of his or her columns. Then, try your hand at writing your own column, using that style. Add a title to your column and send to nieworld.com for possible publication. (Sunshine State Standards LA.A.1.2.1, LA.A.1.2.2, LA.A.1.2.3, LA.A.1.2.4, LA.A.2.2.5, LA.B.2.2.1, LA.B.2.2.3, LA.B.2.2.6)

3. Search the newspaper for articles about natural disasters. As you read, jot down your ideas about how good reading skills might help you stay safe given such a disaster. How many ways can you think of that reading might help? Give yourself a pat on the back if you listed four or more reasons to read! (Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.2.1, LA.A.1.2.2, LA.A.2.2.5, LA.A.2.2.8, LA.B.1.2.1)

4. Brainstorm with classmates or friends about the ways you could help people facing disaster in other countries. Then use The News-Journal to find articles, photos and advertisements that portray people of different cultures together in positive situations. Display these clippings for others to see. Don't forget to check the weather page! (Sunshine State Standards: SS.A.6.2.4, SS.A.6.2.5, SS.B.1.2.5)

5. One of the major functions of newspapers is to inform people about what others are doing in their community. These types of articles often help us feel connected with our neighbors. Look for stories in The Daytona Beach News-Journal that you feel are examples of people helping others. Then write a story or draw a picture about a time you got connected with a neighbor. (Sunshine State Standards: LA.A.1.3, LA.A.2.3, LA.B.2.3)

Splish-splash, quake and roll: our living planet

Try these activities using The Daytona Beach News-Journal!

Read more about the Earth by checking out these links: