The Three Gorges Dam, the world’s largest hydroelectric dam located on the Yangtze River in central China, is not only a marvel of engineering but also has notable effects on Earth’s rotation, according to a report by IFL Science. The dam harnesses the flow of water from three nearby gorges—Qutangxia, Wuxia, and Xilingxia—to generate electricity by spinning turbines.
NASA first identified the Earth-shifting capabilities of large water bodies in 2005, following the catastrophic Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004. In a blog post, NASA explained that alterations in the distribution of mass on Earth can slightly affect the planet’s moment of inertia, thus influencing its rotation.
Dr. Benjamin Fong Chao, a geophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, elaborated on this phenomenon, noting that the Three Gorges Dam can hold approximately 40 cubic kilometers (10 trillion gallons) of water. He calculated that this significant shift in mass could potentially increase the length of a day by 0.06 microseconds and cause the Earth’s pole position to shift by around 2 centimeters. While these changes may seem minimal compared to the impact of large earthquakes, they are substantial for a man-made structure.
The influence of human activities on the Earth’s rotation extends beyond the dam. Climate change is also contributing to this phenomenon, as rising global temperatures and the melting of polar ice caps have led to a redistribution of mass. This shift has resulted in more mass accumulating at the equator compared to the poles, subsequently slowing the Earth’s spin and leading to slightly longer days.
As scientists continue to explore the intricate relationship between human infrastructure and Earth’s dynamics, the Three Gorges Dam stands as a testament to how significant human activities can influence natural processes.
Sources By Agencies
