Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
I had originally planned to focus this talk on two novel sources of Chandler wobble excitation: tectonic, associated with aseismic processes occurring for example at subduction zones; and cryospheric, associated with the transient oceanic responses to episodes of ice-cap melting. I was also asked by the conference convenors to present a brief historical review of the secular motion of Earth’s rotation pole. In the course of preparing that review, I was struck by the exceedingly controversial nature of the topic, from beginning to end; as a result, the review will be somewhat lengthy, and I will not have time to discuss cryospheric excitation of wobble.