The entire continent of Australia has shifted — and it’s causing problems for GPS systems…(WOW!)
Simone M Scully
BusinessInsider.com
Aug. 3, 2016
Australia might not be as far away as it used to be because the entire continent has moved 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) since 1994, according to Reuters.
How did this happen? Tectonic shifts are the reason. The Australian tectonic plate is the fastest moving continental plate on Earth. Scientists believe that it split from the Indo-Australian plate approximately three million years ago, and today, it is moving 7 centimeters (2.8 inches) northwards and slightly eastwards every year, colliding into the Pacific Plate on its journey. This drags the landmass of the continent just a little bit closer to the equator every year.
As the pressure between the Pacific and Australian plates builds and builds, earthquakes will most likely result.
While five feet doesn’t seem like a whole lot, it is still enough to disrupt global navigation satellite systems — which were and still are based on Australia’s position in 1994 — putting the continent out of sync. This affects not only the GPS maps on smartphones, but also delivery drones, farmers, meteorologists, and even automated cars.
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