Groundwater pumping alters Earth's rotation and gravity
TL;DR
Earth's tilt has changed by 31.5 inches (80 centimeters) between 1993 and 2010 because of the amount of groundwater humans have pumped from the planet's interior. Scientists have discovered that displacing such an enormous amount of water has had an effect on the axis around which the planet spins. The shifts of the rotational pole could contribute to climate change in the long-term, and managing how groundwater moves around the globe could help limit the shifts of the rotational pole and thus the potential climate effects that come with them.
Topics:top-newsscience-and-astronomy#climate-change#earths-tilt#groundwater-pumping#hydrological-regime-changes#rotational-pole#science-and-astronomy
- Humans are pumping out so much groundwater that it's changing Earth's tilt Space.com
- Pumping groundwater has caused the Earth's rotation to shift - study The Jerusalem Post
- Groundwater Pumping Changes Earth's Tilt, Research Shows Greek Reporter
- We've changed Earth's spin by pumping groundwater EarthSky
- People pumping water has changed the Earth's center of gravity Washington Examiner
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Space.com