Chandler wobble
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Chandler wobble
(chand -ler) A small continuous variation in the location of the geographic poles on the Earth's surface. It leads to a variation of latitude of points on the Earth because latitude is measured from the equator midway between the poles. It does not affect the celestial coordinates of a body. The variation in polar location is resolved into two almost circular components, one (diameter: 6 meters; period: 12 months) resulting from seasonal changes in ice, snow, and atmospheric mass distribution; the second (diameter: 3–15 meters; period: 428 days) is believed to arise from movements of material within the Earth.Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006
Chandler wobble
[′chand·lər ‚wäb·əl] (geophysics)
A movement in the earth's axis of rotation, the period of motion being about 14 months. Also known as Eulerian nutation.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.