Over the past two decades, the Earth’s axis has shifted, tilting by about 80 centimeters. According to a new study, the displacement is the result of the extraction of underground water, which alters the mass balance of the planet.
Groundwater, a very important resource for agriculture and human consumption, is being pumped from beneath the surface at an alarming rate.
This redistribution of water changes the mass balance of the planet and contributes to changes in the axis around which the Earth rotates.
Ki-Weon Seoa geophysicist at Seoul National University and lead author of the study, explained that the Earth’s rotation pole is naturally subject to change.
However, the new study highlights that among climate-related causes, groundwater displacement has the most significant effect.
Between 1993 and 2010, it is estimated that they were 2,150 gigatons of groundwater extracted for irrigation and other uses. Much of this water ended up flowing into the oceans, causing not only a rise in sea level – about 0.60 centimeters – but also a noticeable change in the Earth’s tilt.
According to , researchers found that the only models that matched the observed shift in the rotation pole included this large redistribution of groundwater.
The implications of this bias are complex. Moving water is like shifting the weight of a top, changing the way the Earth spins. In 2016, NASA had already warned that water distribution could influence the rotation of the planetbut this new investigation offers concrete data to support these claims.
Where the water is displaced from is crucial to understanding slope. Regions in mid-latitudes, such as western North America and northwestern India, play a significant role in these changes.
Water extraction in these areas has amplified the effects, as the movement of water from land to ocean creates an imbalance in the planet’s mass.
The study, recently in Geophysical Research Letters, shows the importance of conservation and sustainable water management. The results illustrate the cascading effects of groundwater depletion, which contribute not only to sea level rise but also to changes in Earth’s rotation.
These changes may have unforeseen consequences over timeincreasing the already complex challenges posed by climate change.
The research team now hopes to analyze historical data to discover long-term trends in groundwater movement and its effects on Earth’s rotation.
This data can be essential in shaping global efforts to address water scarcity, combat sea level rise, and reduce the broader impacts of climate change.
