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Duppers

(28,242 posts)
Thu Jun 15, 2023, 09:46 PM Jun 2023

We've pumped so much groundwater that we've nudged the Earth's spin

We've pumped so much groundwater that we've nudged the Earth's spin, says new study

https://phys.org/news/2023-06-weve-groundwater-nudged-earth.html

By pumping water out of the ground and moving it elsewhere, humans have shifted such a large mass of water that the Earth tilted nearly 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) east between 1993 and 2010 alone, according to a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters.

Based on climate models, scientists previously estimated humans pumped 2,150 gigatons of groundwater, equivalent to more than 6 millimeters (0.24 inches) of sea level rise, from 1993 to 2010. But validating that estimate is difficult.

One approach lies with the Earth's rotational pole, which is the point around which the planet rotates. It moves during a process called polar motion, which is when the position of the Earth's rotational pole varies relative to the crust. The distribution of water on the planet affects how mass is distributed. Like adding a tiny bit of weight to a spinning top, the Earth spins a little differently as water is moved around.

"Earth's rotational pole actually changes a lot," said Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University who led the study. "Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole.

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We've pumped so much groundwater that we've nudged the Earth's spin (Original Post) Duppers Jun 2023 OP
Interesting... 2naSalit Jun 2023 #1
K n R ! Thanks for posting!...nt JoeOtterbein Jun 2023 #2
Is there a relationship to global warming and this? Throck Jun 2023 #3
The article ended in this open question... Duppers Jun 2023 #4
We need fewer humans screwing things up!..hope it isn't too late PortTack Jun 2023 #5
Scary! burrowowl Jun 2023 #6
And speaking of groundwater, there's this... Duppers Jun 2023 #7

Duppers

(28,242 posts)
4. The article ended in this open question...
Thu Jun 15, 2023, 11:04 PM
Jun 2023

"So, we can potentially use those data to understand continental water storage variations during the last 100 years. Were there any hydrological regime changes resulting from the warming climate? Polar motion could hold the answer."


"Could," hmmm? 🤔


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