Commentary by Ken Hooton
Special to the Herald/Review

he calendar calculations in the last two Writing Wrongs columns have brought questions regarding scientific wrongs. Here, anomalous gravity, specifically that found at the Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, Calif., where tilted and twisted trees abound, is discussed.

Planet Earth is an oblate spheroid — almost a sphere — and is structured like an onion with concentric shells of different materials around a central sphere of metal (liquid iron?) and so is roughly symmetrical. Gravitational attraction of other objects, such as our Moon or a lead weight (plumb bob) suspended on a line (plumb line) just above, or on, Earth’s surface, is on a line through the centers of gravity of Earth and the other object. The plumb line is used to indicate vertical (“straight down”). A plane at right angles to the vertical is horizontal and is a tangent to the Earth’s circular surface at that point. I have a four-foot carpenter’s level that has two tubes partly filled with a liquid so that the bubbles move to the center of their tubes (between two marks) and indicate when the level is on a horizontal plane. Another pair of similar tubes, located at right angles to the first two, indicate when the level is at right angles to the horizontal, i.e. when the level is vertical.

When using a plumb line or carpenter’s level adjacent to mountains, the attraction of the mass of the mountains may deflect the plumb bob (or liquid/bubble) away from the normal or true vertical. Also, if Earth’s concentric shells are deformed or very-dense, or low-density liquid magma intrude near the measuring site, then again deflection may occur. If a dense (iron) meteorite has fallen close to the measuring site, similar deflections may occur. These result in anomalous gravity, where a ‘vertical’ line no longer passes through Earth’s center. The conclusion from all this is that a carpenter’s level only indicates true vertical (gravitational attraction to Earth’s center) or true horizontal (perpendicular to true vertical) when interference from nearby masses is absent. Therefore, straight trees (e.g. pine) grow ‘vertically’ according to local ‘vertical’ conditions.

I visited the Mystery Spot in California thirty-odd years ago. The Spot is about 150 feet in diameter. The trees outside the spot appear to be growing normally, but the trees within the Spot appear to be listing to the northeast at an angle of about 20 degrees to the vertical when compared to trees surrounding the spot. The guide showed us concrete slabs which he assured us were level by laying a carpenter’s level on them. (Aha!). A nearby ‘cabin’ had been built using a similar carpenter’s level. Tourists walking through the cabin or standing on the blocks became discombobulated. The Web site at www.mysteryspot.com still talks of using a carpenter’s level to prove the blocks are truly level and continues to fool the public, either in ignorance or deliberately, by stating that using a regular carpenter’s level within the Mystery Spot shows true level when, as is explained above, it does not. Apparently, the anomalous gravity within the area of the Spot is not uniform because the effects observed vary from point to point, which suggests that intrusion of the magma or shape of the meteorite is far from uniform or asymmetrical.

For descriptions of worldwide gravity anomalies, go to www.forteantimes.com/features/articles/175/gravity_anomalies.html

From time to time, I have pointed out errors in stating dates (years) followed by B.C. (before Christ) or A.D. (anno domini, of the Christian era), the correct method being that B.C. follows the year and A.D. precedes it. For example, 54 B.C. and A.D. 1066 are correct. I noticed a note in a recent issue of Chemical & Engineering News stating that in archaeology, anthropology, history and other fields more politically acceptable terms are being used. These are B.C.E. (before the common era) and C.E. (common era), replacing B.C. and A.D., respectively as in 54 B.C.E. and 1066 C.E.

DR. KEN HOOTON will be happy to receive wretched wrongs from language lovers. Write to Writing Wrongs, Sierra Vista Herald/Bisbee Daily Review, 102 Fab Ave., Sierra Vista AZ 85635, or fax to 459-0120, or e-mail writingwrongs@cox.net. His column appears the third Sunday of the month.