The quake that rocked the South American nation may have also knocked the Earth off its axis.

The 8.8-magnitude earthquake near Chile may have also made our planet's days shorter, according to NASA scientist Richard Gross.

A minor change in the Earth�s axis isn't expected to alter much in terms of weather. The planet's tilt influences the seasons, allowing for winter, spring, summer and fall, and it would take a far greater change in the Earth's axis to affect them.

The Chile quake may have moved the Earth�s axis by about 3 inches, Gross said.

The quake also shortened the day by 1.26 microseconds, the scientist determined, using a complex model he and others developed.

The Earth's rotation was likely affected by the shift in the planet's mass, which could cause it to spin faster.

Scientists believe other quakes, such as the 2004 9.1-magnitude earthquake in Sumatra, have also decreased the Earth's day. That quake is believed to have shortened it by 6.8 microseconds, and altered the axis by nearly 7 inches.



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The were guessing a shift of 3 inches, but they don't have any idea at this point.