A recent study found that rapid groundwater extraction can shift the Earth’s axis. The study found that between 1993 and 2010, the Earth’s tilt changed by about 31.5 inches. This change correlated with the removal of underground water resources.
The study found that the Earth’s axis shifted because groundwater extraction moves water mass from under the continents to the oceans. Most groundwater ends up in the oceans and raised sea levels by 6.24 mm from 1993-2010.
The study was published in June in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.
A recent study has found that rapid groundwater extraction can lead to shifts in the Earth’s axis. Between 1993 and 2010, the planet’s tilt changed by approximately 31.5 inches, correlating with the removal of underground water resources.
The Earth’s tilt is not fully understood. However, one theory is that the Earth’s tilt is the result of a collision with another planet.
The Giant Impact Hypothesis
- Theia: A planet about the size of Mars
- 4.5 billion years ago: Theia collided with the Earth
- 23.5 degrees: The Earth’s axis is now tilted at this angle
- Moon: The collision also created the Moon
The Earth’s tilt is not fixed. It varies over periods of about 41,000 years. The tilt varies between about 3 degrees. The Earth also wobbles on its axis like a top on a 24,000 year cycle. This wobble is called precession.
Other factors that can affect the Earth’s tilt include:
- Gravitational forces The Earth is pulled by the gravitational forces of the Sun, Moon, and large planets in the solar system.
- Climate change About 10,000 years ago, the Earth woke up from a deep freeze. The massive ice sheets sitting atop what is now Canada melted. The distribution of the planet’s mass changed and the north pole started to drift west.
The movement that causes the Earth’s axis tilt to change is called axial precession. Axial precession is a slow, continuous change in the orientation of an astronomical body’s rotational axis. It’s caused by gravity.
The Earth’s axis takes about 26,000 years to complete a circular “wobble”. This wobble helps determine the North Star. For example, the Earth’s axis currently points toward a star called Polaris.
The Earth’s tilt changes during a cycle that averages about 40,000 years. The tilt of the axis varies between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees.
The Earth’s axis shifted in the 1990s. The direction of polar drift shifted suddenly and the rate of the drift accelerated. The direction of polar drift shifted from southward to eastward in 1995. The average speed of drift from 1995 to 2020 was 17 times faster than from 1981 to 1995.
The Earth’s axis has also shifted due to climate change. Since 1980, the location of both poles has moved roughly 13 feet. The movement of the Earth’s axis is not large enough to affect daily life.
The Giant Impact Hypothesis is one of the most accepted explanations for the Earth’s tilt. The hypothesis states that the Earth’s axis was tilted by a large object colliding with it early in its formation. The collision occurred about 4.5 billion years ago. The object, called “Theia”, was about the size of Mars. The collision also created the Moon.
The Earth’s axis is tilted at an angle of about 23.5 degrees relative to its orbit around the sun. This tilt is known as axial tilt or obliquity. It’s responsible for the changing of the seasons.
The Earth’s rotation on its axis causes the day and night cycle.
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