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Excitation of the Earth's rotational axis by recent glacial discharges
Author(s) -
Gasperini P.,
Sabadini R.,
Yuen D. A.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/gl013i006p00533
Subject(s) - glacial period , geology , geophysics , post glacial rebound , mantle (geology) , excitation , physics , geomorphology , quantum mechanics
We study the effects of present‐day glacial discharges and the growth of the Antarctic ice sheet on exciting the Earth' rotational axis. Glacial forcing could cause a maximum change in J 2 of about one‐third of the observed amount, for the Maxwell rheology and for Burgers’ body models with a long‐term, lower‐mantle viscosity greater than about 10 23 P. For transient rheologies the amount of excitation due to glacial melting decreases. Polar wander is not much excited by recent glacial melting for the various types of rheologies examined.