Humans pump so much groundwater that Earth’s axis has shifted, Geophysicist Ki-Weon Seo from Seoul National University has discovered that study finds
Humans pump so much groundwater that Earth’s axis has shifted, Geophysicist Ki-Weon Seo from Seoul National University has discovered that study finds By Mindy Weisberger, CNN Updated 7:42 PM EDT, Mon June 26, 2023 (https://edition.cnn.com/2023/06/26/world/pumping-groundwater-earth-axis-shifting-scn/index.html) Groundwater extraction is a significant factor in the tilting of Earth's rotational axis, according to a new study. CNN — Humans’ unquenchable thirst for groundwater has sucked so much liquid from subsurface reserves that it’s affecting Earth’s tilt, according to a new study. Groundwater provides drinking water for people and livestock, and it helps with crop irrigation when rain is scarce. However, the new research shows that persistent groundwater extraction over more than a decade shifted the axis on which our planet rotates, tipping it over to the east at a rate of about 1.7 inches (4.3 centimeters) per year. That shift is even observable on Earth’s s...