A recent study reveals that climate change is not just altering weather patterns and sea levels, it’s also affecting the way Earth spins. Scientists have discovered that the massive redistribution of water from melting glaciers and the extraction of groundwater is causing Earth’s mass to shift, which in turn changes the position of its rotational axis, a phenomenon known as polar motion.

The study, conducted by researchers from ETH Zurich, looked at how Earth’s rotation has changed since 1900 and projected its future movement up to 2100 under different climate scenarios. They found that as ice melts from Greenland and Antarctica, and as groundwater is pumped for agriculture and then flows into the oceans, the redistribution of this weight causes the axis of rotation to shift.

In a low-emission future, the Earth’s axis could shift about 12 meters by the end of the century. In a high-emission scenario, that shift could be more than double , reaching about 27 meters. Greenland’s melting is mainly causing a westward drift, while Antarctica is contributing to an eastward movement. Other smaller contributors include the melting of mountain glaciers and the ongoing extraction of groundwater.
Though this shift happens slowly and isn’t something we feel directly, it could have practical implications. Changes in Earth’s rotation can affect satellite operations, GPS accuracy, climate models, and even timekeeping systems based on Earth’s orientation.

Source: Earth.Com