Phenomenon Earthquakes Glaciers Accelerating Flow

Gletser Mendenhall, Juneau, Alaska

- In addition to causing a shift in the Earth's axis and rotation speed, Japanese quake was reported also resulted in Antarctic glacier flow speed increased for a while. Typically, the glacier moves 1 meter in a day, but this time moving two feet at a time when the earthquake struck.

The movement was monitored by Jake Walter of the University of California Santa Cruz. Together with his partner, he monitors the flow of the glacier was from California using GPS facilities. Walter and his colleagues found, the speed of ice flow increased 2 times a day in the movement that lasted up to 30 minutes.

Increasing the flow of glaciers reported in Whillans, West Antarctica. Whillands ice stream flow from West Antarctica into the Ross Ice helf. Walter considers this phenomenon is interesting but would not destabilize the flow of ice in Antarctica.

Large earthquake is known to generate seismic waves that are delivered to all parts of the planet before they "disappeared. " Further analysis by Walter reveals that the increased movement of glaciers occurred just as the wave reached the Antarctic.

Walter said that every major quake could cause this phenomenon. "Earthquake Chile last year also has the same effect. It is interesting to know how large earthquake affecting the movement of glaciers," Walter told New Scientist said on Wednesday (03/16/2011).