Chandler wobble

Chandler wobble

Chandler wobble The irregular movement of the Earth's geographical poles over the surface, anticlockwise for the north pole and clockwise for the south. The effect is very small, the displacement of the pole being less than 10 m, but it produces slight but detectable changes in latitude and longitude of the order of 0″.3. This polar motion is a displacement of the poles with respect to the Earth, not the star background, and hence is quite distinct from precession, which is a variation in the direction of the Earth's axis in space. It is named after the American astronomer Seth Carlo Chandler (1846–1913).

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Chandler wobble

Chandler wobble The free oscillation of the Earth's pole of rotation. This wobble in the Earth's rotation has a 435-day periodicity and appears to have a decay time of the order of 40 years. The cause (excitation) is unknown: atmospheric effects appear to be on too short a time scale; earthquake activity has been proposed, but has not been established. The major cause appears to be related to the Earth's core and its magnetic coupling with the lower mantle.

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AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Chandler wobble." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 31 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Chandler wobble." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 31, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Chandlerwobble.html

AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY. "Chandler wobble." A Dictionary of Earth Sciences. 1999. Retrieved May 31, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O13-Chandlerwobble.html

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