The human race has pumped a ton of Earth’s water over the years, and apparently we’ve pumped so much that it’s moved the poles. According to ScienceAlert.comwe pumped so much groundwater between 1993 and 2010 that the poles migrated 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) eastward.
These findings were published in an analysis led by geophysicist Ki-Weon Seo of Seoul National University in South Korea.
Furthermore, our redistribution of Earth’s water, specifically groundwater, also confirmed estimates that the depletion of these groundwaters led to a 6 mm rise in sea level. Although Earth’s rotational poles change frequently, this study specifically sought to see how human impacts move the poles and found that groundwater extraction is the largest contributor from land-related causes.
To better understand how the Earth’s axis is affected by changes in climate and water redistribution, you need to consider how the Earth’s axis of rotation shifts as the planet’s mass distribution changes around the axis. The effect became important in the 1990s due to the melting of glaciers and ice sheets, but the impact of groundwater extraction has never been specifically studied until now.
Scientists initially estimated in 2019 that about 2,150 gigatons of groundwater were pumped between 1993 and 2010, but until now there was no good way to confirm this.
Seo and his team sought to look at this analysis and see how humans’ redistribution of Earth’s water has actually affected the movement of the poles. They achieved this by monitoring climate patterns and using data from observations of pole movements.
First, they modeled how the poles would move with just melting from glaciers and ice sheets, then added groundwater extraction to the equation. The model will match the data exactly when they adjust groundwater estimates to 2,150 gigatons, confirming earlier observations of groundwater impacts.
So now we have confirmed that the redistribution of water on Earth is contributing to sea level rise and pole movement, and we know that the poles have been moving approximately 4.36 centimeters per year. The study notes that this movement may still be ongoing, but the data is only up to 2010. With that in mind, what is the solution to reducing further movement and sea level rise?
Fortunately, the study also revealed where groundwater pumping has the greatest impact, with groundwater removed from mid-latitudes by North America and northern India causing the most significant uplift and movement.
Thus, by getting these regions of the world to try to reduce the levels of groundwater extraction, we can then mitigate the negative effects they cause. However, this is easier said than done and may take some time.
The main use of the groundwater we pump is for agricultural purposes, with 70% of groundwater going to agriculture. Clearly, we will need to implement technology to reduce water waste to help offset some of the impact of groundwater extraction on the poles. Still, something is better than nothing, so hopefully something will be done to help limit groundwater extraction as soon as possible.