Earth's axis tilts 31.5 inches in 17 years! Because Indians are concerned about groundwater use

 

 

 

Seoul: Overuse of groundwater alters Earth's balance and rotation, warns A new study shows that the Earth's axis has tilted 31.5 inches (about 80 centimeters) to the east in just 17 years due to a drop in groundwater levels.

Earth's axis has shifted 31.5 inches eastward in the past 17 years. But it is not due to massive earthquakes, asteroid collisions, or any change in the sun. The discovery of the research team led by Ki-wonseo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University, said that this change in the earth's axis occurred because tons of underground water was drawn for various purposes by man. The movement and distribution of groundwater has a major impact on the Earth's axis of rotation, Seo said in a news release.

Scientists estimate that 2,150 gigatons of groundwater were withdrawn from the soil by humans between 1993 and 2010, enough to cause sea level rise of 0.24 inches. This groundwater use has caused the Earth's axis to tilt more than 31 inches in two decades. The change in the Earth's axis caused the sea level to rise.