The keepers of the 96m high clock tower say they have been monitoring the tilting closely since 1999. According to their figures, the process has been accelerating since 2003. While before it was moving at 0.65mm per year, now the rate is 0.9mm per year.
They claim that this will not be a problem any time soon: “Our resident expert believes it will be between 4000 and 10,000 years before it becomes a problem.” They don’t know what’s behind this acceleration, however, and say that there’s “no real proof what has caused it”. Current theories include the extension of the London’s subway Jubilee Line — which goes under the Parliament — and the clay ground on which the tower was built, which is now drying and may be causing the movement. [BBC News, Reuters]
Base image: Shutterstock/Daniel Gale
Sevrin
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 8:09 AMI love the attitude of the Brits.
“The tower is leaning…. meh… don’t worry about it. We’ll be long dead before the thing topples over. Someone else’s problem!”
AB
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 9:03 AM4000-10,000 years away. I think we have bigger fish to fry, like the economy, global warming, water shortages, food storages, politically unstable countries… Shall I go on?
EckyThump
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 9:09 AMWow,.. how strangely short sighted of you! Meh, each to there own I guess, personally I’d like to see icons like this go on and no doubt they will manage a leaning tower of pisa type rescue sooner or later! #]
Ben
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 8:19 AMBig Ben is the bell inside the tower.
Mike
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 11:24 AMVery true. Its not a well known fact that the tower’s name is actually Tall Tony.
Nathan
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 11:48 AMAnonymous has been digging for the 5th of November. Gunpowder plot re-born.
Maximus
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 2:52 PMHahahaha that^^ has made my very slow day.
DK Son
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 11:58 AMBig Ben is my stage name/night name.
DarthDVD
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 12:10 PMFix it now. and how do they really know it can take 10,000 years of it moving at 0.9mm a year… but if it was only going at 0.65mm (py) in 1999 and then 0.9mm (py) in 2003.. maybe it will get faster and faster…
Stew
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 12:55 PMV for Very Slow Vendetta
Chris
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 3:17 PMI wonder if Jesus is aware that ben is one of the words the Japanese use for poop. Therefore using the definite article suggests the big poop is leaning! Bahahahaha! Also, this is unfortunate for anyone whose name is Ben. :(
Cam
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 4:36 PMWhat they fail to mention is that they only installed the sensors to monitor the positioning of the clock tower in 1999, and there was an upgrade in 2003.
In other news, apparently the earth only became a sphere once Colombus sailed around it.
Jizzle
Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 10:28 PMI think you mean Magellan.