Earth’s Axis has Changed, because Groundwater Extraction

According to a recent study that was published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the tilt of the Earth has been impacted by human usage of groundwater for agriculture and drinking. The research revealed “significant groundwater depletion during the 20th century,” and “water redistribution from aquifers to the oceans would result in a drift of Earth’s rotational pole.”

The Earth is tilting further eastward due to the extraction of groundwater from aquifers at a pace of 1.7 inches each year. According to a news release from main research author Ki-Weon Seo, “Earth’s rotational pole actually changes a lot.” According to our research, the redistribution of groundwater is the climate-related factor that most significantly affects the rotating pole’s drift. The Washington Post estimates that between 1993 and 2010, people extracted 2,150 gigatons of groundwater.

The speed of the Earth’s rotation is around 1,000 miles per hour. The weight of the planet is not uniformly distributed since it is not a perfect spherical. The planet may wobble as it spins if the weight distribution changes. According to James Famiglietti, a hydrologist at Arizona State University, “I kind of liken it to a waterlogged softball.” “When a softball or baseball gets wet, it becomes waterlogged and wobbles oddly when you toss it. This is what’s taking place.

Because groundwater used for agriculture eventually flows into rivers and seas, groundwater pumping has also contributed to sea level rise. One of the few management choices that may be taken to limit the rate of sea level rise is groundwater pumping, according to Famiglietti. “We really need to be better stewards of Earth’s resources because we are really having an impact on this planet.”

“We have affected Earth systems in various ways,” Seo said. “People need to be aware of that.”