Humans Pumped Enough Groundwater to Tilt Earth 31.5 Inches
Humans Pumped Enough Groundwater to Tilt Earth 31.5 Inches Recent research has revealed a surprising consequence of excessive groundwater extraction: Earth’s axis of rotation has shifted by approximately 31.5 inches (80 centimeters) between 1993 and 2010. This phenomenon, known as polar motion, occurs due to mass redistribution on the planet, and the large-scale withdrawal of 2,150 gigatons of groundwater has emerged as a significant driver. Groundwater, once extracted, is eventually deposited into oceans, contributing to a measurable drift in Earth's tilt. The Science Behind the Shift Earth's rotational pole naturally shifts over time, influenced by factors like glacial melting and changes in land water storage. However, researchers noted an anomaly in the pole's drift that could not be fully explained by glacial and ice sheet melt alone. By incorporating groundwater depletion into their models, scientists found it accounted for the missing 31.5 inches of pole movement. ...