What do we know about the Earth’s poles?
The two locations on our planet's surface that are at the very top and bottom are known as the poles. They are called the North Pole and the South Pole. The North Pole is the northernmost point on Earth's axis. The axis is an imaginary line going from the North Pole to the South Pole through the middle of our planet.
Our planet spins around this imaginary line. The North Pole is in the Arctic Ocean and has a big sheet of floating ice around it. There is no land at the North Pole. The South Pole is in a frozen continent called Antarctica, which is very far south.
A recent study found that the Earth's poles have moved, making the planet tilt about 80 centimetres (cm) to the east.
What is the cause behind this tilt?
The study says the reason behind this is rising sea levels and increased groundwater extraction in India and the United States of America (USA). This has caused the Earth's poles to shift slightly.
The melting of polar ice sheets and glaciers is the main reason for rising sea levels. However, excessive groundwater extraction has also been identified as a cause behind rising sea levels.
How do rising sea levels and groundwater extraction cause the Earth’s poles to drift?
Groundwater is used for watering crops. Eventually, this water goes into the oceans, which makes the sea levels rise. Now, let's see how it affects the way our planet tilts.
Imagine a spinning top. If we put a lot of stickers on one side to make it heavier, it starts spinning differently because its balance changes. The same thing happens to our planet. The way water is spread out on Earth affects how its weight is distributed. Even small changes in water movement can affect how our planet spins.
If large amounts of groundwater move to the sea, the weight of the oceans increases while the land becomes lighter. This causes the Earth's poles to drift and the planet to tilt, even if it's just by about 80 cm.
Scientists have found that a lot of groundwater has been taken out in some places like western North America and northwestern India. This has affected how the Earth spins.
How will this polar shift affect our planet?
This kind of change does happen every year. So, there's no need to worry because it will not have a harmful effect on the planet. However, this research will help scientists study how people in the past used groundwater.
But, scientists have warned countries to take precautions against climate change and the depletion of groundwater. This is because a significant shift in the Earth's poles in the future could be dangerous for the planet.
