The Earth’s axis of rotation is a line imaginary around which our planet revolves, and this can be influenced by human influence. This line passes through the north and south geographic poles, being fundamental for the creation of the succession of day and night, the formation of ocean currents, winds and seasons.
The role of humans in the displacement of the Earth’s axis
Over the past 30 years, Earth’s axis of rotation has tilted by almost a meter, and a significant part of this change can be attributed to human activities. However, why is this happening?
According to research published in 2023 by Ki-Weon Seo and his colleagues in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, humans have removed so much water from underground that it is affecting the tilt of the Earth’s axis of rotation. This is in addition to the phenomenon of global warming, also caused, in most cases, by human activity.
During the period from 1993 to 2010, the pumping of groundwater and the consequent increase in sea level were responsible for a displacement of Earth’s poles approximately 0.79 meters.
Ki-Weon Seo, one of the researchers, notes that “each mass that moves on the Earth’s surface can change the axis of rotation.”
Image: Ki-Weon/Reproduction
This highlights how our human activities, such as excessive groundwater extraction, can have a significant impact on Earth’s natural processes.
The search results
To reach these conclusions, the researchers used a computational model to analyze the effects of various factors on the displacement of the Earth’s poles.
When groundwater pumping was not included in the model, predictions did not match observed changes.
However, when considering the massive amount of water pumped, which exceeded two trillion tons between 1993 and 2010, the model aligned with real-world observations.
Manoochehr Shirzaei, a geophysicist at Virginia Tech, points out that “the exact number of water pumped is not really important; what matters is that the volume is so colossal that it could impact the Earth’s polar drift.”
Image: Pixabay/Reproduction
Impact of human actions on planet Earth
The tilt of the Earth’s rotation axis is a vivid example of how human activities can influence essential natural processes. The shift of the poles due to excessive groundwater pumping is a powerful reminder of our responsibility to protect and preserve our planet.
As we continue to affect the environmentunderstanding these consequences is essential to mitigate future damage and work towards a sustainable balance with nature.
