Beijing is indirectly changing the Earth’s axis and, consequently, the length of the day. This impact was unintentional, but appears as a side effect of China’s economic and energy development. In particular, the Three Gorges Dam, located on the Yangtze River, represents not only an impressive feat of modern engineering, but also an example of how human action can influence the planet.
With the capacity to store up to 39.3 billion cubic meters of water, this dam has unexpected implications for the Earth’s rotation. According to experts, the storage of this massive amount of water extended the length of the day by 0.06 microseconds and shifted the Earth’s axis about 80 centimeters to the east. This phenomenon is explained by the increase in the Earth’s moment of inertia, caused by the redistribution of the water mass at a higher altitude. This process resembles the movement of a figure skater who slows down by extending his arms.
The Three Gorges Dam, built between 1994 and 2012, not only generates energy equivalent to the output of 22 nuclear power plants, but has also had a profound impact on the Yangtze ecosystem. Despite contributing to the reduction of carbon emissions, its construction involved the displacement of 1.3 million people and the transformation of natural habitats for several species. Even so, the Chinese government has already approved the construction of a new dam that should exceed this in size and capacity.
According to , studies published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters indicate that, between 1993 and 2010, human activity shifted the Earth’s axis by 80 centimeters to the east. In addition to the dam, other actions such as pumping 2,150 gigatons of groundwater into the oceans also contributed to this change.
The redistribution of masses on the planet, such as the enormous volumes of water stored at high altitudes, continues to demonstrate how human interventions can influence, albeit in a subtle way, the Earth’s balance.
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