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Could China slow down Earth's rotation? Here's how NASA discovered that a massive Chinese enterprise is impacting the movement of our planet.
A Three Gorges Dam, located in China, is widely recognized as one of the greatest marvels of modern engineering. However, its impact on the planet could be much more significant than previously thought. According to NASA studies, filling this gigantic dam has the potential to slightly slow down the Earth's rotation. Although this idea sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, it is based on solid physical principles and detailed scientific analysis, which take into account the displacement of large masses of water and their effects on the balance of the planet.
The dam, which is the largest in the world, stores approximately 39 trillion liters of water at its maximum capacity. This colossal volume of water displaces the planet's mass, slightly altering the Earth's weight distribution. According to experts, this can impact the planet's rotation, lengthening the days by fractions of a millisecond. Although it may seem insignificant, these changes can have cumulative effects over time and raise questions about the environmental impact of megaprojects like this.
Where did the idea that China can slow down the Earth's rotation come from?
The Three Gorges Dam, located on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, is the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world. Its construction took almost 18 years and was completed in 2012. Measuring 2.335 meters long and 185 meters high, this colossal structure is capable of holding up to 40 cubic kilometers of water, or 40 billion liters. It is this gigantic mass of water that, according to NASA, could impact the rotation of the planet.
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The idea that China could slow Earth's rotation with the Three Gorges Dam originated in a 2005 NASA publication. At the time, researchers were studying the impact of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami on the planet's rotation.
They discovered that this earthquake, by shifting the tectonic plates, had modified the distribution of mass on the Earth's surface and, consequently, its moment of inertia. The moment of inertia is a physical quantity that characterizes a body's resistance to changes in its rotation.
Understand how China can slow down the Earth's rotation
To illustrate this concept, we can use the example of a figure skater who, by folding his arms close to his body, increases his rotation speed. Similarly, the rotation of the Earth can be modified by changes in the distribution of its mass.
NASA scientists have shown that the 2004 earthquake shortened the length of a day by 2,68 microseconds.
In theory, China could slow down the Earth's rotation, as a massive displacement of water, such as that generated by the Three Gorges Dam, could have a similar effect.
Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, a geophysicist at the Goddard Space Flight Center NASA explains that filling the dam could shift the position of Earth's pole by about 2 centimeters and slow down Earth's rotation, thus increasing the length of the day by 0,06 microseconds.
Impacts of these changes around the world
China could slow down the Earth’s rotation, and while these changes are small, they are nonetheless significant. They demonstrate the impact that human activities can have on the planet, even on a scale as vast as the Earth’s rotation.
In fact, climate change, by causing ice at the poles to melt and water to rise in tropical regions, is also altering the distribution of mass on Earth and, consequently, its rotation. Melting ice leads to a transfer of mass from the poles to the equator, slowing down the Earth's rotation.
It is important to note that NASA researchers had already observed a slowdown in the Earth's rotation even before the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. This is mainly due to the gravitational pull of the Moon and other natural factors. However, China's impact could slow down the Earth's rotation, even if only slightly, contributing to an overall trend of the planet slowing down.
