How China’s Three Gorges Dam Affects Earth’s Rotation: NASA’s Surprising Discovery Explained

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – There are many things that can change the rotation of the Earth. One of them comes from a large dam in China.

NASA discovered the potential of hydroelectric dams in China in 2005. At that time, the United States (USA) space agency discovered how earthquakes and tsunamis in the Indian Ocean affected the Earth’s rotation.

The findings indicate a change in mass circulation across the Earth that has little effect on the planet’s moment of inertia. IFL Science explains a physics concept that describes the problem of rotating an object around a specific axis.

Earthquakes affect the rotation of the Earth due to moving tectonic plates, it was announced from Wio News, Tuesday (24/9/2024).

NASA scientists found that after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, there was a change in mass circulation. This event caused the day to shorten by 2.68 microseconds.

By the same theory, large water movements could also trigger a similar phenomenon. A geologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Benjamin Fong Chao, said that 40 cubic kilometers of water is stored in a dam called the Three Gorges Dam.

From the results of his calculations, the length of the day can increase by 0.06 microseconds. This is because there is a change in position in the size and poles of the Earth by about 2 cm.

The hydroelectric dam is located in Hubei province. The central part stretches along the Yangtze River.

The three gorges that flow through this dam come from Qutangxia, Wuxia, and Xilingxia. Dams can turn turbines and generate electricity.

(fab/fab)

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