Now that Pisa’s tower has been straightened somewhat, there’s some contention as to what tower is now the tippiest. The New York Times has an article offering up the Tower of St. Mauritius in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a possibility. The 108-foot (33-meter) tower currently leans at 5.36 degrees (0.0935 radians). Perhaps more interestingly, though, is why it is leaning. Towers lean for different reasons, Mr. Puzrin wrote, but the St. Mauritius tower tilts because it, and the entire neighborhood surrounding it, are essentially perched on a landslide that creeps inexorably down toward the shore of the lake on which St. Moritz lies. Oh. But what does “entire neighborhood” mean? A few surrounding buildings? The landslide, Mr. Puzrin said, which is about a mile (1.6 km) long and half a mile (0.8 km) wide, can move by as much as 18 inches (46 cm) a year. Fun! I wonder what it’s like trying to sell a house in that neighborhood. Photo: Dominic Buettner for The New York Times
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Now that Pisa’s tower has been straightened somewhat, there’s some contention as to what tower is now the tippiest. The New York Times has an article offering up the Tower of St. Mauritius in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a possibility. The 108-foot (33-meter) tower currently leans at 5.36 degrees (0.0935 radians).

Perhaps more interestingly, though, is why it is leaning.

Towers lean for different reasons, Mr. Puzrin wrote, but the St. Mauritius tower tilts because it, and the entire neighborhood surrounding it, are essentially perched on a landslide that creeps inexorably down toward the shore of the lake on which St. Moritz lies.

Oh.

But what does “entire neighborhood” mean? A few surrounding buildings?

The landslide, Mr. Puzrin said, which is about a mile (1.6 km) long and half a mile (0.8 km) wide, can move by as much as 18 inches (46 cm) a year.

Fun!

I wonder what it’s like trying to sell a house in that neighborhood.

Photo: Dominic Buettner for The New York Times

Source: The New York Times

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  1. cwj posted this