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Phase and amplitude variation of Chandler wobble Linton, John Alexander

Abstract

Normally, the wobble of the earth has been dealt with in a manner that assumes that the two main periodic components have constant phase and amplitude. An initial assumption of this thesis is that both these parameters can vary with time. A technique of predictive filtering is used to determine the Chandler component of the wobble from basic latitude measurements at the five I.L.S. observatories. A simple analytic procedure is employed to obtain the phase and amplitude variation of the periodic Chandler motion. The results indicate that major changes in both phase and amplitude occur in the period 1922 to 1949. These changes are possibly associated with earthquake activity, although there is nothing to indicate that there is a correlation between individual earthquakes and events in the Chandler motion. The calculated period of the Chandler wobble is 437 days and the damping time is so uncertain that a value approaching infinity is not unlikely.

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