Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T15:44:31.922Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Earth's variable rotation: some geophysical causes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2017

Kurt Lambeck
Kurt Lambeck*
Affiliation:
Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, P.O. Box 4, Canberra A.C.T. 2601

Extract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The Earth's variable rotation, its departures from what it would be if it were a rigid body rotating in isolation, has occupied the interest of astronomers and geophysicists for more than 100 years. The reason for this is quite clear when one becomes aware of the range of processes that perturb the Earth from uniform rotation (Figure 1). A complete understanding of the driving mechanisms requires a study of the deformation of the solid Earth, of fluid motions in the core and the magnetic field, of the mass redistributions and motions within the oceans and atmosphere, and of the interactions between the solid and fluid regions. The discussion of evidence for the variable rotation includes the examination of not only a variety of optical telescope evidence that goes back some 300 years, but also of historical records of lunar and solar eclipses, and planetary occultations and conjunctions for perhaps the past three millenia. The geological record, in the form of fossil growth rhythms in organisms such as corals, bivals or brachiopods or as cyclic organic growth and sediment sequences such as stromatolites or banded iron formations, extend, albeit with considerable uncertainty, the record back through Phanerozoic time and into the Early Precambrian. To this variety of measurement techniques now has to be added the new methods derived from the space-oriented technological developments of the past few decades.

Type
Introductory Lecture and Remarks
Information
Symposium - International Astronomical Union , Volume 128: Earth's Rotation and Reference Frames for Geodesy and Geodynamics , 1988 , pp. 1 - 20
Copyright
Copyright © Reidel 1988 

References

Refrences

Barnes, R.T.H., Hide, R., White, A.A., and Wilson, C.A., 1983. Atmospheric angular momentum fluctuations, length-of-day changes and polar motion. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond., A 387, 31–73.Google Scholar
Ben-Menahem, A., 1982. A new derivation of the ratio Q(wobble)/Q(mantle). Geophys. J., 70, 535–537.Google Scholar
Brosche, P. and Sundermann, J., 1982. Tidal Friction and the Earth's Rotation II, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 345 pp.Google Scholar
Capitaine, N., and Xiao, N., 1982. Some terms of nutation derived from the BIH data. Geophys. J., 68, 805–814.Google Scholar
Capitaine, N., and Guinot, B., 1985. Anomalies of some tidal wave, of UT1. Geophys. J., 81, 563–568.Google Scholar
Carter, W.E., 1982. Refinements of the polar motion frequency modulation hypothesis. J. Geophys. Res., 87, 7025–7028.Google Scholar
Carton, J.A., and Wahr, J.M., 1986. Modelling the pole tide and its effect on the Earth's rotation. Geophys. J., 84, 121–137.Google Scholar
Chao, B.F. 1983. Autoregressive harmonic analysis of the Earth's polar motion using homogeneous international latitude service data. J. Geophys. Res., 88, 10299–10307 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Colombo, G., and Shapiro, I., (1968). Theoretical model for the Chandler wobble. Nature, 217, 156–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dickman, S.R., 1985. The self-consistent dynamic pole tide in the global oceans. Geophys. J., 81, 157–174.Google Scholar
Dickman, S.R., and Steinberg, D.J., 1986. New aspects of the equilibrium pole tide. Geophys. J., 86, 515–529.Google Scholar
Eubanks, T.M., Steppe, J.A. and Dickey, J.O., 1985. The atmospheric excitation of Earth orientation changes during Merit. Proc. Int. Conf. Earth rotation and their terrestrial frame. Dept. Geod. Science, Ohio State University, pp 469–483.Google Scholar
Gold, T., 1967. Radio method for the precise measurement of the rotation period of the Earth. Science, 157, 302–304.Google Scholar
Gross, R.S., 1986. The influence of earthquakes on the Chandler wobble during 1977–1983. Geophys. J., 85, 161–177.Google Scholar
Guinot, B., 1974. A determination of the Love number k from the periodic waves of UT1. Astron. Astrophys., 36, 1–4.Google Scholar
Hide, R., 1984. Rotation of the atmospheres of the Earth and planets. Phil. Trans. R. Soc Lond., A 313, 107–121.Google Scholar
Jeffreys, H., 1940. The variation of latitude. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc., 100, 139–155 Google Scholar
Jeffreys, H., 1968. The variation of latitude. Mon. Not. R. Astr. Soc., 141, 255–268.Google Scholar
Jeffreys, H. 1970. The Earth (fifth edition). Cambridge University Press, 525pp.Google Scholar
Lambeck, K., 1980. The Earth's Variable Rotation. Cambridge University Press, 449pp.Google Scholar
Lambeck, K., 1984. Hula dancers, Walter Munk and the rotation of the Earth. In A Celebration in Geophysics and Oceanography − 1982 : In Honor of Walter Munk. Scripps Institution of Oceanography Reference Series 84–5. pp 87–95.Google Scholar
Lambeck, K., 1986. Banded iron formations. Nature, 320, 547.Google Scholar
Lambeck, K., and Cazenave, A., 1974. The Earth's rotation and atmospheric circulation-II. The continuum. Geophys. J., 38, 49–61.Google Scholar
Lambeck, K., and Cazenave, A., 1977. The Earth's variable rotation: a discussion of some meteorological and oceanic causes and consequences. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond., A 284, 495–506.Google Scholar
Lambeck, K., and Hopgood, P., 1981. The Earth's rotation and atmospheric circulation, from 1963 to 1973. Geophys. J., 64, 67–89.Google Scholar
Lambeck, K., and Hopgood, P., 1982. The Earth's rotation and atmospheric circulation: 1958–1980. Geophys. J., 71, 581–587.Google Scholar
Lambeck, K., and Nakiboglu, S.M., 1983. Long-period Love numbers and their frequency dependence due to dispersion effects. Geophys. Res. Lett., 10, 857–860.Google Scholar
MacDonald, G.J.F., 1967. Implications for geophysics of the precise measurement of the Earth's rotation. Science, 157, 304–307.Google Scholar
Mansinha, L., Smylie, D.E., and Chapman, C.H., (1979). Seismic excitations of the Chandler wobble revisited. Geophys. J., 59, 1–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masters, G., 1979. Observational constraints on the chemical and thermal structure of the Earth's deep interior. Geophys. J., 57, 507–534.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merriam, J.B., 1982. Meteorological excitation of the annual polar motion. Geophys. J., 70, 41–56.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merriam, J.B., 1983. Variations in the Earth's rotation. Sci. Prog., 68, 387–401.Google Scholar
Merriam, J.B., 1984. Tidal terms in universal time: effects of zonal winds and mantle Q. J. Geophys. Res., 89, 10109–10114.Google Scholar
Merriam, J.B., and Lambeck, K., 1979. Comments on the Chandler wobble Q. Geophys. J., 59, 281–286.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molodenskii, S.M. and Zharkov, V.N., 1982. Chandler Wobble and frequency dependence of Q of the Earth's mantle. Phys. Solid Earth, 18, 245–254.Google Scholar
Munk, W.H. and MacDonald, G.J.F., 1960. The Rotation of the Earth. Cambridge University Press. 323pp.Google Scholar
Naito, I., 1979. Effects of the pole tide on the Chandler wobble. J. Phys. Earth, 27, 7–20.Google Scholar
Naito, I., and Yokoyama, K. 1985. A computation of atmospheric excitations functions for the Earth's rotation based on J.M.A. global analysis data. Proc. Int. Conf. Earth Rotation and their Terrestrial Frame. Dept. Geod. Science, Ohio State University, pp 434–439.Google Scholar
Nakiboglu, S.M. and Lambeck, K., 1980. Deglaciation effects on the rotation of the Earth. Geophys. J., 62, 49–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newton, C.W., 1971. Mountain torques in the global angular momentum balance. J. Atmos. Sci., 28, 623–628.Google Scholar
O'Connor, W.P., 1986. On the applicaiton of asymptotic analysis to the dynamical theory of the pole tide. Geophys. J., 85, 1–11.Google Scholar
Okubo, S., 1982a. Is the Chandler period variable? Geophys. J., 71, 629–649.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Okubo, S., 1982b. Theoretical and observed Q of the Chandler wobble Love number approach. Geophys. J., 71, 647–657.Google Scholar
Pederson, G.P.H. and Rochester, M.G. 1972. Spectral analysis of the chandler wobble. In Rotation of the Earth (Melchior, P. and Yumi, S., eds.) D. Reidel, Dordrecht, pp 33–38.Google Scholar
Proverbio, E., Carta, F. and Mazzoleni, F., 1972. In Rotation of the Earth (Melchior, P. and Yumi, S., eds.) D Reidel, Dordrecht 43–45.Google Scholar
Robertson, D.S., Carter, W.E. and Wahr, J.M., 1986. Possible detection of the Earth's free-core nutation. Geophys. Res. Lett., 13, 949–952.Google Scholar
Rochester, M.G., 1984. Causes of fluctuations in the rotation of the Earth. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 313, 95–105 Google Scholar
Rochester, M.G., Jensen, O.G. and Smylie, D.E., 1974. A search for the Earth's nearly diurnal free wobble. Geophys. J., 38, 349–363.Google Scholar
Rosen, R.D., and Salstein, D.A., 1983. Variations in atmospheric angular momentum on global and regional scales and the length of day. J. Geophys. Res., 88, 5451–5470.Google Scholar
Salstein, D.A., and Rosen, R.D., 1985. Computations of atmospheric angular momentum, with emphasis on the MERIT period. Proc. Int. Conf. Earth Rotation and their Terrestrial Frame. Dept. Geod. Science, Ohio State University, pp 440–449.Google Scholar
Smith, M.L., 1977. Wobble and nutation of the Earth. Geophys. J., 50, 103–140.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, M.L. and Dahlen, F.A., 1981. The period and Q of the Chandler wobble. Geophys. J., 64, 223–281.Google Scholar
Stacey, F.D., 1969. Physics of the Earth. John Wiley, New York, 324pp.Google Scholar
Souriau, A., and Cazenave, A., 1985. Reevaluation of the Chandler wobble seismic excitation from recent data. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 75, 410–416.Google Scholar
Toomre, A., 1974. On the “nearly diurnal wobble” of the Earth. Geophys. J., 38, 335–348.Google Scholar
Van Hykkama, T.E.A., 1970. Water balance and Earth unbalance. Publ. 92. Int. Ass. Sci. Hydr., 434–553.Google Scholar
Wahr, J.M., 1981. Forced nutations of an elliptical rotating, elastic and oceanless Earth. Geophys. J., 64, 705–727.Google Scholar
Wahr, J.M., 1982. The effects of the atmosphere and oceans on the Earth's wobble - I. Theory. Geophys. J., 70, 349–372.Google Scholar
Wahr, J.M., 1983. The effects of the atmosphere and oceans on the Earth's wobble and on the seasonal variations in the length of day - II. Results. Geophys. J., 74, 451–487.Google Scholar
Wahr, J.M., 1985. The Earth's rotation rate. American Scientist, 73, 41–46.Google Scholar
Wahr, J.M., and Oort, A.H. Friction and mountain torque estimates from global atmospheric data. J. Atmos. Sci, 41, 190–204.Google Scholar
Wahr, J.M., Sasao, T., and Smith, M. L., 1981. Effect of the fluid core on changes on the length of day due to long period tides, 1 Geophys. J., 64, 635–650.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walker, J.C.G., and Zahnle, K.J., 1986. Lunar nodal tide and distance to the Moon during the Precambrian. Nature, 320, 600–602.Google Scholar
Wilson, C.R., and Haubrich, R.A., 1976. Meteorological excitation of the Earth's wobble. Geophys. J., 46, 707–743.Google Scholar
Wilson, C.R., and Gabay, S., 1981. Excitation of the Earth's polar motion: a reassessment with new data. Geophys. Res. Lett., 8, 745–748.Google Scholar
Wilson, C.R. and Hinnov, L. 1985. Water storage effects on the Earth's rotation. Proc. Int. Conf. Earth Rotation and their Terrestrial Reference Frame. Dept. Geod. Science, Ohio State University, pp 417–433.Google Scholar
Wilson, C.R., and Vicente, R.O., 1980. An analysis of the homogeneous ILS polar motion series. Geophys. J., 62, 605–616.Google Scholar
Whysall, K.D.B., Hide, R. and Bell, M.S. current work on the Earth's rotation at the United Kingdom Meteorological Office. Proc. Int. Conf. Earth Rotation and their Terrestrial Reference Frame. Dept. Geod. Science, Ohio State University, pp 417–433.Google Scholar
Wu, P., and Peltier, W.R., 1984. Pleistocene deglaciation and the Earth's rotation: a new analysis. Geophys. J., 76, 753–791.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yoder, C.F., Williams, J.G. and Parke, M.E., 1981. Tidal variations of earth rotation. J. Geophys. Res., 86, 881–889.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yuen, D.A., Sabadini, R., and Boschi, E., 1982. The viscosity of the lower mantle as inferred from rotational data. J. Geophys. Res., 87, 10745–10762.CrossRefGoogle Scholar