Rampant extraction of groundwater between 1993 and 2010 has changed Earth's tilt by 31.5 inches, according to a new study.
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Estimate
In that period, the study estimates that humans extracted 2,150 gigatons of groundwater. This amount could cause the global sea level to rise by 0.24 inches.
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Modeling
For the study, researchers modeled the observed changes in the shift of Earth's rotational pole with respect to the movement of water.
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Findings
The extent to which groundwater caused a shift in Earth's rotational pole was found to depend on where it was located on the planet.
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Impact
The study revealed that groundwater removed from the regions in the midlatitudes had a bigger impact on Earth's tilt.