Roger Bilham

More powerful earthquakes could rock the globe in 2018 because of infinitesimal changes in the speed of the Earth’s rotation, scientists warn.

It seems contradictory, but a minuscule slowing of the Earth’s rotation over years, which can extend the length of a day by a millisecond or more, appears to be linked to an increase in major quakes.

Scientists warn that fluctuations in the speed of Earth's rotation could trigger a swarm of devastating earthquakes across the globe, particularly in heavily populated tropical regions.

A devastating earthquake that hit Nepal in April moved Mount Everest three centimeters to the southwest, but did not change its height, according to Chinese research published on June 16.