Geophysical Research Letters has published a new study, according to which the Earth’s poles have shifted over the past three decades. The change was about 80 cm. What could be the cause of this change?
Situation
The Earth’s pole has shifted about 80 centimeters to the east over the past three decades. The change occurred between 1993 and 2010, according to Phys.org.
Reason
The main reason behind it is the pumped groundwater. The Earth’s rotation axis shifted in the 1990s. Previously it was believed that this change was the result of groundwater removal, melting ice and other factors leading to rising sea levels.
However, in 2016, researchers discovered that water has the ability to change the Earth’s rotation.
Until this discovery, not many people knew that these rotational changes were due to contributions from groundwater.
According to Phys.org. site, it is estimated that humans have pumped 2,150 gigatons of groundwater. This equates to a 6 mm increase in sea level between 1993 and 2010.
However, the estimation is very difficult.
“The Earth’s rotation pole actually changes a lot,” Seoul National University geophysicist Ki-Weon Seo said on the website.
The man led the studies and thus made statements such as: “Our research shows that among climate-related causes, groundwater redistribution does have an impact largest to the drift of the rotational pole”.
At this point, they discovered that it was necessary to include the groundwater distribution (2150 gigatons) in the model for it to match observations of the Earth’s pole shift.
Connect with India
According to the study, most of the water is redistributed in western North America as well as northwestern India. “On the other hand, as a resident of Earth and a father, I am concerned and surprised to see that groundwater pumping is another cause of rising sea levels,” the authors said. .
The authors add: “The Earth’s pole moved toward 64.16°E at a rate of 4.36 cm/year during 1993–2010 due to groundwater depletion and resulting sea level rise High”.
Solution
The solution is very simple. According to the study, if countries make efforts to reduce groundwater depletion, especially in sensitive areas, the drift change could theoretically be altered. However, this is only relevant if such efforts are continued for decades and decades.
The rotating pole usually changes several meters in a year. Thus, changes caused by groundwater pumping do not lead to the risk of changing seasons.
However, it is important to note that, on geologic time scales, climate can be affected by polar drift.
“Observing changes in the Earth’s rotation pole is useful for understanding variations in water storage at the continental scale,” Seo said.
He added that “Polar motion data have been around since the early 19th century. So we can use those data to understand changes in water reserves on the continent over the past 100 years. Are there any changes to the hydrological regime due to the warming climate? Polar motion could be the answer.”
Research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Surendra Adhikari thinks this is a really good contribution and certainly an essential document.
Surendra Adhikari published a paper on the topic of water redistribution and its impact on rotational drift. In a statement, Adhikari said, “They have quantified the role of groundwater pumping in the movement of the poles and it is quite important.”
: Why is China digging holes 10,000 meters deep into the Earth’s crust?
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: pagasa.edu.vn