The movement of the terrestrial poles could be about 27 meters by 2100: here is the impact of climate change on the rotation axis of the planet.
According to a new study, the drastic merger of the ice caused by climate change could move the position of the geographical poles of the earth in the coming years. As the glacial caps merge and the oceanic mass is redistributed, the north and south poles could move by a few tens of meters by 2100, due to the Changing the position of the terrestrial rotation axis. The study, published in the magazine Geophysical Research Letterswarns that this change could influence satellite and spatial navigation.
Movement up to 27 meters. The rotation of the earth is subject to oscillations caused by variations in the distribution of the planetary mass. Some of these oscillations are predictable and derive from fluctuations of atmospheric pressure, ocean currents and the interactions between terrestrial nucleus and cloak. But recent studies have suggested that too The fusion of glacial caps and glaciers contributes to this phenomenonaltering the position of the poles.
In the new analysis, the researchers of the Heds of Zurich have Studied both the movement of the poles from 1900 to 2018both the projections on the merger of the ice, to estimate how much the poles could move in different scenarios of climate change induced by man. Well, according to simulations, in the most serious scenario for greenhouse gas emissions, The North Pole could move west of about 27 meters by 2100. Even in a more optimistic context, the movement could reach 12 meters than its position in 1900. The main responsible for these variations are the merger of ice in Greenland and Antarctica, followed by that of minor glaciers.
Consequences on satellites and probes. “This effect far exceeds the effect of glacial isostatic aging, or the rebound of the solid land after the end of the last glacial era”, explains the co -author of the Mostafa Studio Kiani Shahvandi, of the University of Vienna.
In other words, The terrestrial crust, once sunk under the weight of the glacial era glaciers, gradually raised after their mergeraltering the distribution of weight on the planet and moving the poles. “But what is happening means that human action has moved the poles to a greater extent than the glacial eras,” said Kiani Shahvandi. According to the researcher, a change in the terrestrial rotation axis may have consequences on satellite navigation and space probesso long as Scientists use the land axis as a reference to map their positions. If this axis moves significantly over time, identifying precisely the position of a space vehicle could become more complex.
Further research. In the future, more in -depth studies may include The analysis of the clear datato determine the extent of the movement of the poles over the course of millions of years and during past episodes of natural climate change. Kiani Shahvandi concludes: “Future research will contribute to revealing the real scope of the human impact on the movement of the poles”.
