Extraction of Gigatons of Groundwater May Be Responsible For Polar Shift

Extraction of Gigatons of Groundwater , May Be Responsible For Polar Shift.

Extraction of Gigatons of Groundwater , May Be Responsible For Polar Shift.

According to a new study, humans extracted so much groundwater between 1993 and 2010 that it has contributed to the migration of Earth's poles.

ScienceAlert reports that the new analysis was led by geophysicist Ki-Weon Seo of Seoul National University.

The findings confirm previous estimates that groundwater depletion caused by human activity resulted in a polar shift of 80 centimeters toward the east.

The analysis was performed to reach a better understanding of the polar motion phenomenon and how changes in Earth's water distribution could impact it.

Earth's rotational pole actually changes a lot.

, Ki-Weon Seo, Geophysicist at Seoul National University, via ScienceAlert.

Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole, Ki-Weon Seo, Geophysicist at Seoul National University, via ScienceAlert.

Humans pumped approximately 2,150 gigatons of groundwater between 1993 and 2010, according to 2010 estimates based on climate models.

Polar motion data are available from as early as the late 19th century.

, Ki-Weon Seo, Geophysicist at Seoul National University, via ScienceAlert.

So, we can potentially use those data to understand continental water storage variations during the last 100 years, Ki-Weon Seo, Geophysicist at Seoul National University, via ScienceAlert.

Were there any hydrological regime changes resulting from the warming climate?

Polar motion could hold the answer, Ki-Weon Seo, Geophysicist at Seoul National University, via ScienceAlert