Earthquake also shifted other parts of South America . Scientists have credited the quake with shifting the Earth 's axis . And the rotation rate determines the length of a day . `` Any worldly event that involves the movement of mass affects the Earth 's rotation , '' Benjamin Fong Chao , of NASA 's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt , Maryland , said while explaining the phenomenon in 2005 . This shift in Earth's axis caused a change in how it spins, which is why we see earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on our planet today.
Earthquake also shifted other parts of South America . Scientists have credited the quake with shifting the Earth 's axis . This shift in Earth's axis caused a change in how it spins, which is why we see earthquakes and volcanic eruptions on our planet today.