Water, as we all know, is incredibly powerful. But did you know that it is so powerful that pumping groundwater from beneath the Earth’s surface can actually shift the planet’s tilt and affect its rotation? This process contributes to rising sea levels as well as other effects of climate change. Scientists are now realising that removing groundwater has a bigger impact than they once imagined. According to a study published in Geophysical Research Letters, in less than 20 years, the Earth has tilted by 31.5 inches due to groundwater pumping. This has also added about 0.24 inches to global sea levels. Earth’s Rotation Day: Know Date, History & Significance of the Day That Remembers Leon Foucault’s Demonstration of How the Planet Rotates.

In a statement, Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University and the study lead, says that the Earth’s rotational pole changes a lot. The geophysicist adds that “the study also shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.” In 2016, NASA’s research showed that the way water is distributed on Earth can actually change how the planet rotates. The new study builds on this idea by adding specific measurements to what is already understood. As the Earth rotates on its axis, the way water is spread across the planet affects how its weight is distributed. It is similar to adding small amounts of weight to a spinning top, which changes the way it spins. When water moves around, the Earth’s rotation is slightly altered.

The study looked at data from 1993 to 2010 and found that pumping about 2,150 gigatons of groundwater caused the Earth’s tilt to shift by around 31.5 inches. Most of this water is pumped for irrigation and other human needs, and it eventually makes its way to the oceans. In the study, researchers also created models to track changes in the Earth’s rotational pole and water movement. They tested different scenarios, but the only model that matched the observed drift was the one that included the movement of 2,150 gigatons of groundwater. A Day on Earth Has Become Shorter Than 24 hours As Planet Has Been Spinning Faster on Its Axis; 28 Shorter Days Recorded in 2020: Reports.

The study’s findings can also help conservationists figure out ways to slow down rising sea levels and other climate problems. With time, these changes can hopefully be put into action.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 25, 2024 05:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).