The earth is more inclined because of climate change

The warming of the oceans can make the earth tilt more and rotate faster in the next century.

The globe revolves around an inclined axis 23.5 ° from the vertical. But this is not a fixed angle. The mass distribution on the earth is constantly changing, so the position of the earth axis also changes constantly.

' If you increase the mass on one side of the globe, its axis will change slightly ,' explains Felix Landerer, a scientist with NASA's Aerospace Agency (NASA).

Scientists have long known that the greenhouse effect affects the tilt of the earth's axis. For example, the north pole of the planet is moving toward 79 degrees west - meridians passing through the city of Toronto (Canada) and Panama City. Movement speed is about 10 cm / year. The cause is the melting of North America, Europe and Asia, causing the north pole mass to decrease.

The earth's axis will tilt further if greenhouse gas emissions still increase in the next century.(Photo: physorg.com)

The movement of fresh water from ice sheets also affects the earth's axis. According to Landerer's calculations, the thawing process on Greenland Island caused the Earth's axis to continue tilting by 26 mm per year. That speed may increase significantly in the coming years.

In the latest study, Landerer's team found an increase in greenhouse gases that also increased the tilt of the earth.

According to their calculations, if CO ₂ doubled between 2000 and 2100, the oceans would warm up and expand. Then the water will be pushed toward the shallower continental shelves, causing the north pole of the earth axis to move approximately 15 mm per year toward Alaska and the American Hawaiian Islands.

' The oceans absorb at least 80% of the heat that the greenhouse effect causes. However, the movement of the north pole will not be strong enough to cause disturbances to the earth's climate , 'Landerer said.

A few years ago, Landerer's group once proved that global warming could change the mass distribution on Earth. Specifically, matter will rush to high latitudes, making the planet rotate faster.