China's Dam May Shift Earth's Axis
China's Dam May Shift Earth's Axis September 27, 2024 at 8:55 AM GMT+5:30 The Three Gorges Dam In China, the world's largest hydroelectric project, has been found to have a measurable impact on the Earth's rotation. This phenomenon is primarily due to the massive volume of water it holds, which alters the distribution of mass on the planet. Key Points Massive Water Reservoir : The dam holds approximately 40 billion cubic meters (or about 39 trillion kilograms ) of water, creating a significant shift in the Earth's moment of inertia. This shift occurs because the water is stored at a height of about 175 meters above sea level . Impact on Earth's Rotation : According to NASA calculations, this redistribution of mass results in an increase in the length of a day by about 0.06 microseconds . This is a minuscule change compared to natural events like earthquakes, which can cause more signifi...