Earth's axis has shifted thanks to human groundwater pumping

Globe spinning.
(Image credit: Buena Vista Images / Getty Images)

Human use of groundwater for drinking and agriculture has affected the tilt of the Earth, according to a new study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters. The findings showed "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 pumping of groundwater from aquifers has caused the Earth to tilt farther east at a rate of 1.7 inches per year, per CNN. "Earth's rotational pole actually changes a lot," said lead study author Ki-Weon Seo in a news release. "Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole." Humans have removed approximately 2,150 gigatons of groundwater between the years 1993 and 2010, per The Washington Post.

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.