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Science 9 August 1991:
Vol. 253. no. 5020, pp. 629 - 637
DOI: 10.1126/science.253.5020.629
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Articles

Earth's Variable Rotation

RAYMOND HIDE 1 and JEAN O. DICKEY 2

1 Robert Hooke Institute, The Observatory, Clarendon Laboratory, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PU, United Kingdom
2 Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Mail Stop 238-332, Pasadena, CA 91109

Recent improvements in geodetic data and practical meteorology have advanced research on fluctuations in the Earth's rotation. The interpretation of these fluctuations is inextricably linked with studies of the dynamics of the Earth-moon system and dynamical processes in the liquid metallic core of the Earth (where the geomagnetic field originates), other parts of the Earth's interior, and the hydrosphere and atmosphere. Fluctuations in the length of the day occurring on decadal time scales have implications for the topography of the core-mantle boundary and the electrical, magnetic, and other properties of the core and lower mantle. Investigations of more rapid fluctuations bear on meteorological studies of interannual, seasonal, and intraseasonal variations in the general circulation of the atmosphere and the response of the oceans to such variations.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Detection and Modeling of Nontidal Oceanic Effects on Earth's Rotation Rate.
S. L. Marcus, Y. Chao, J. O. Dickey, and P. Gegout (1998)
Science 281, 1656-1659
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Lunar Laser Ranging: A Continuing Legacy of the Apollo Program.
J. O. Dickey, J. O. Dickey, P. L. Bender, J. E. Faller, X X Newhall, R. L. Ricklefs, J. G. Ries, P. J. Shelus, C. Veillet, A. L. Whipple, et al. (1994)
Science 265, 482-490
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Topographic Forcing of the Atmosphere and a Rapid Change in the Length of Day.
D. A. Salstein, D. A. Salstein, and R. D. Rosen (1994)
Science 264, 407-409
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The Earth's Angular Momentum Budget on Subseasonal Time Scales.
J. O. Dickey, J. O. DICKEY, S. L. MARCUS, J. A. STEPPE, and R. HIDE (1992)
Science 255, 321-324
   Abstract »    PDF »


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