New research studying the impact of climate change on our planet has revealed a shocking discovery – the Earth’s axis has tilted by 31.5 inches (about 80 centimeters). Researchers attribute this change to humans pumping Earth’s groundwater, which they say could not only alter the planet’s rotation but also affect sea level rise. This study has been published in the journal geophysical research paper,
According to popular mechanics,
“The Earth’s rotational pole actually changes a lot. Our study shows that among climate-related causes, groundwater redistribution actually has the largest impact on the rotational pole’s drift,” study lead author and geophysicist at Seoul National University Ki-won Seo, the lead, said in a statement.
The authors further said that as the water moves around, the Earth rotates slightly differently.
How does the Earth’s tilt change?
Earth’s tilt, or axial precession, is affected by the distribution of mass (in this case water) across the planet. The melting of the glaciers of Greenland and Antarctica and the polar ice sheets contributes significantly to this redistribution. As the ice melts, water flows toward the equator, causing the Earth’s balance to change and its axis to shift – a process similar to how a figure skater’s spin slows down when their arms extend outward. Are.
The study took into account data from 1993 to 2010, which showed that the pumping of 2,150 gigatons of groundwater caused a change in the Earth’s tilt by about 31.5 inches. The pumping is largely for irrigation and human use, says the study, which was first published in 2023 and has now been revised.
What is groundwater?
Groundwater is water stored in soil pores and rock beneath the Earth’s surface, which forms part of the hydrological cycle. It originates from rainfall which infiltrates the ground and fills the underground aquifers. These aquifers serve as important freshwater reservoirs, supplying drinking water, irrigation for agriculture and industrial needs.
Ground water is often extracted through wells and springs. Its availability and quality depend on factors such as recharge rates, geological structure and human activities.
It has a variety of utilities, including being used in farming and as drinking water.
why it matters?
Although human-scale changes may seem insignificant on geological time scales, such changes can have significant environmental consequences. For example, redistribution of water can affect sea level change differently in different regions. It also affects the planet’s internal systems, including its magnetic field, which protects us from harmful solar radiation.
