Earth has tilted by 31.5 inches in 17 years, and the cause will leave you stunned

The Earth has tilted 31.5 inches east in just 17 years, and it’s not due to asteroids, solar flares, or any cosmic phenomenon. The cause? Humans pumping and redistributing billions of tons of groundwater across the planet.

A study led by Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University, revealed that this massive water movement has impacted the Earth’s rotational pole more than any other climate-related factor. “The redistribution of groundwater has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole,” Seo said in a press release.

Between 1993 and 2010, scientists estimate 2,150 gigatons of groundwater—enough to raise sea levels by 0.24 inches—were pumped and shifted globally. To grasp the enormity, a single gigaton is equivalent to three times the weight of every person on Earth combined.

Why Does Earth’s Tilt Matter?
The tilt, which gives us seasons, has always existed due to a colossal ancient collision with a Mars-sized object named Theia, according to NASA. This cosmic crash left Earth permanently tilted on its axis, creating the cycle of spring, summer, fall, and winter.

While the recent tilt won’t alter seasons, it could influence global climate patterns. Surendra Adhikari, a scientist from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, warned that these shifts could have unpredictable effects on the planet’s delicate balance.

Human Impact on a Planetary Scale
Groundwater isn’t just disappearing—it’s moving. The massive redistribution has changed how Earth spins, underscoring the profound influence humans have on planetary systems.

This finding, originally published in Geophysical Research Letters in June 2023, continues to make waves over a year later, illustrating how human actions can ripple through the cosmos.