> In reply to Horace Heffner's message of Thu, 31 Mar 2011 10:23:11 -0800: > Hi, > [snip] >>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12911806 >> >>Best regards, >> >>Horace Heffner >>http://www.mtaonline.net/~hheffner/ >> >> >> > The rendering seems to be exactly wrong. I would think that the regions > with > strongest gravity would be closer the core and those with weakest gravity > furthest away.
I would tend to agree, but it turns out this is not the case. It turns out that the form of the Geoid (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoid) matches the real physical form of the Earth. This is why: In the abstract/modelling aspect: When gravity is stronger the geoid "bumps", because you have to go higher to obtain the same gravitational intensity than in other, weaker gravity, areas. This results from the definition of the geoid as an equipotential surface. In the real/physical aspect: when gravity is stronger, the ocean water tends to form bumps, not lumps, because water will tend to accumulate in areas of stronger gravity. A greater gravitational field will tend to produce greater water accumulation, and because water is not compressible, it can only go up, producing a bump. Lumps will result as a consequence, in other areas of weaker gravity. Regards, Mauro
