The sky is falling!

Apparently, large earthquakes, like the one in Chile, can move the axis of the earth and change the length of the day. The scientists at the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) reckon our day may now be 1.26 microseconds shorter; our axis may have moved 2.7 milliarcseconds, or 3 inches. Of course, they're not saying for sure; such measurements take time to verify. But this may explain why it was only 34F outside when I left home this morning - the day is shorter, so the planet isn't warming up as much.

The basic theory is the same as that involved when an ice-skater pulls in their arms in a spin, increasing their rate of spin. Pull the mass in to a slightly smaller space, and you spin faster.

(According to NASA, driving a Hummer can also affect the earth's rotation...)

Related articles:

http://www.universetoday.com/2010/03/01/chilean-earthquake-may-have-shortened-the-length-of-a-day-on-earth/

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2005-009

Maybe 2012 will be the end of the world...