Groundwater extraction has caused major changes in the Earth’s rotational balance, with the planet’s tilt increasing by about 80 centimeters in the last couple of decades.
A planet-threatening disaster is reportedly looming over the Earth which could not only trigger a massive global water crisis but also threatens the planet’s very existence as a haven of life. According to a new research, the Earth has tilted by about 80 centimeters in the past few decades, which has affected the climate as well as the planet’s rotation.
As per the research published in the Geophysical Research Letters of AGU (American Geophysical Union) journal, the large-scale extraction of underground water by humans has disturbed the Earth’s rotational balance, causing the planet to tilt towards the east at rate of 4.36 centimeters annually.
Disaster looms over Earth
The planet’s tilt has increased by about 80 centimeters in the last couple of decades, as per the study led by Ki-Weon Seo, a veteran geophysicist and associate professor in the Department of Earth Science Education at the Seoul National University.
The study revealed that about 2,150 gigatons of underground water was extracted between 1993 and 2010, which is equivalent to a 6 mm rise in sea level.
The water stored deep inside the Earth imparts rotational balance to the planet, and its haphazard and rapid extraction resulted in abnormal water distributed, as it flowed into rivers and oceans, causing changes in the Earth’s rotational axis, the researchers revealed. “The weight of the water inside the Earth is part of the planet’s balance. When large amounts of it are removed and transported to other places, the distribution of Earth’s mass changes, affecting both its tilt and rotation,” they said.
India faces a major threat
According to the research, North-West India, especially Punjab and Haryana, are among the regions where groundwater has been exploited the most. Tubewell-based irrigation and rising population has resulted in the overuse of groundwater in this region, due to which the underground water levels are now dangerously low in several places in these areas.
The study noted that uncertainty of monsoon worsens the crisis each year, and the danger extends beyond just water shortage as the lowering of underground water levels can adversely affects the Earth’s balance, as well as the planet’s climate, weather cycle and even future life capacity.
