Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Ecology & Environment (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=100)
-   -   Effect of high rise buildings on earths rotation (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=210276)

  • Apr 27, 2008, 11:01 PM
    alathief
    Effect of high rise buildings on earths rotation
    Is there any effect on the earths rotation due to increase in the number of high rise building reaching to heights of nearly a mile. Especially if they are concentrated in some cities like Manhattan or Dubai.
  • Apr 27, 2008, 11:46 PM
    Scleros
    Interesting question.

    The only thing I can think of would be that the earth is ever so minisculy more un-balanced because the center of mass has been changed. And, perhaps also by extremely slight crustal deformation due to loading.

    I think both are a stretch and probably unmeasurable, but I hope this post gets a geologist's opinion.
  • Apr 28, 2008, 02:27 PM
    ebaines
    It is apparent that as you build a tall building you are increasing the moment of inertia of the earth - raw materiels are mined from underground, turned into steel and concrete, and then hoisted far into the air. Hence you would expect that the earth's rotational velocity to decrease - like the ice skater who extends her arms during a spin to slow down. But the effect would be minuscule. Remember that most of the volume of a building is air, so while a building may be 1000 feet tall its mass is no more than that of a 100-foot tall hill.

    In fact, I would bet that the erosion of mountains - causing silt to be washed from high altitude down to the oceans - more than makes up for whatever the effect of building construction may be.
  • Apr 30, 2008, 06:22 PM
    asking
    Compared to mountain ranges with the mass of the Andes or the Himalayas, I can't imagine that a few buildings scattered here and there would have any significant effect... but I don't actually know! Cool question.

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:54 PM.