Loch Ness, Like a Giant Level, Shows How Scotland Bends With the Tides

[EmperorScorpious]

[QUOTE]The Earth’s crust bends and deforms in response to ocean tides, and this barely noticeable warping affects other bodies of water as well as the land, according to a new study. With exacting precision, scientists in the UK have measured the way Loch Ness sloshes around as all of Scotland bends under the strain of the North Sea’s tides. The lake could be used like a level to gauge the planet’s response to the back-and-forth movement of all its water.

Eliminating the tidal effects of the sun and moon, not to mention hydroelectric facilities, [B]scientists found the 21-mile-long loch surface goes up and down by 1.5 millimeters[/B], according to a report published in the Journal of Geophysical Research. That's because the whole of Scotland heaves in response to ocean tides.

[B]All of Britain rises and falls by several centimeters every 12 hours and 25 minutes[/B], the BBC says, as ocean water surrounding the country washes around the island. Imagine standing in a pool of water sloshing up to your knees — you can’t help but wobble a bit. In the case of the whole of Britain, it’s so slight that nobody can feel it, but scientists wanted to measure this loading effect. They turned to Loch Ness, which is the largest lake in Britain by volume and pretty far north, so more exposed to the North Sea’s tidal thrashings.

Philip Woodworth and colleagues from the UK National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool placed six pressure sensors a few meters under the loch surface and measured the change in the water above them for 201 days, the BBC says. They noticed clear spikes attributable to the moon and sun, but there was a much fainter spike, too — stemming from the tilting of the land. The measurement was precise to one millimeter across the loch’s entire surface, quite a feat.

The goal is to use this information to learn something new about the Earth’s crust, the team says. Maybe it is more malleable than we thought.[/QUOTE]

Source: [url]http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-01/uk-researchers-monitoring-loch-ness-measure-how-land-moves-response-tides[/url]

Thought this was pretty cool. Any Scots here feel the bowing? :v:

[Scot]

I bet nessy did this.

[Wallyroberto]

I read that the loch ness monster was a giant level , dissapointed

[ewitwins]

[QUOTE]1.5 millimeters[/QUOTE]

How the [B]FUCK[/B] do you measure something like that in a body of water?

[➤◉──────────]

[QUOTE=ewitwins;34089892]How the [B]FUCK[/B] do you measure something like that in a body of water?[/QUOTE]

I'm thinking they either average it, or they have like a sectioned off area (that still flows with the rest of the water) with a precise tube/marks/measuring-cup-esque setup.

Maybe someone will drop in and explain it.

[Alien_23]

inb4 more conspiracy theories on the Loch Ness Monster existence..

[Intenso]

[QUOTE=ewitwins;34089892]How the [B]FUCK[/B] do you measure something like that in a body of water?[/QUOTE]
because science

v:v:v

[Mr._N]

Poor Nessy, sloshing around in that lake.

[Sleepy feet]

jokes on them, that's just the loch ness monster leavin the lake to chill for a few hours

[DrLuke]

[QUOTE=ewitwins;34089892]How the [B]FUCK[/B] do you measure something like that in a body of water?[/QUOTE]

I can only guess, but they probably had 2 parts of the lake somehow shielded off from any wind influence to get a flat surface, and those parts have to be on the opposing coasts. Then they use a giant laser to find out that one surface is elevated in relativity to the other surface.

[Contag]

[QUOTE=ewitwins;34089892]How the [B]FUCK[/B] do you measure something like that in a body of water?[/QUOTE]

[quote]placed six pressure sensors a few meters under the loch surface and measured the change in the water above them for 201 days, the BBC says.[/quote]

then you adjust for the other variables

[Hellduck]

this has put me off my haggis