Produced by: Manoj Kumar
NASA revealed that the colossal Three Gorges Dam in China slightly alters Earth’s rotation, stretching days by 0.06 microseconds.
Towering at 185 meters and spanning over 2 kilometers, the dam holds 40 billion cubic meters of water.
Generating 22,500 MW of electricity, it’s the most powerful hydroelectric plant on Earth, breaking records in 2020 with 112 TWh.
The dam’s water displacement redistributes Earth’s mass, slowing its rotation, according to NASA’s Benjamin Fong Chao.
The shift is tied to the moment of inertia—a principle in rotational dynamics—making this impact both subtle and staggering.
Groundwater extraction and massive dams have measurable effects, like shifting Earth’s axis and influencing sea levels.
The 2004 Indonesian tsunami displaced the North Pole by 2.5 cm, showing parallels to human-made changes.
What feels like a scene from science fiction—humanity’s influence on planetary dynamics—is now real.
The Three Gorges Dam exemplifies how human innovation can reshape Earth’s systems, intentionally or otherwise.