Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site petrus.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!cbdkc1!desoto!packard!hoxna!houxm!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxj!mhuxr!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!petrus!hammond From: hammond@petrus.UUCP Newsgroups: net.physics Subject: Re: A couple of old Physics puzzles Message-ID: <245@petrus.UUCP> Date: Wed, 2-Jan-85 09:33:49 EST Article-I.D.: petrus.245 Posted: Wed Jan 2 09:33:49 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 3-Jan-85 04:18:51 EST References: <327@bonnie.UUCP> <47@rti-sel.UUCP> <333@bonnie.UUCP> <50@rti-sel.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Bell Communications Research, Inc Lines: 17 > > 1)Why are the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at different > levels? The earth rotates and the water piles up on the edge of the Americas on one side and pulls away on the other. The gaps at the Horn and the Artic ocean aren't close enough to Panama to reduce the difference completely, so an imbalance persists (because of the earths rotation). If the earth stopped rotating, I would expect the ocean levels to equalize. If I remember properly, the difference is more like 10 feet than 1 foot in order of magnitude (i.e. 4 to 13 foot differences). The tides and local weather conditions may cause fluctuations, but I believe the earths rotation is the fundamental cause of the difference. Rich Hammond (ihnp4!bellcore!hammond)