NASA scientists have reported that China’s colossal Three Gorges Dam—the largest hydroelectric dam in the world—has such immense mass and water displacement that it can alter Earth’s rotation ever so slightly. According to the agency, the redistribution of 39 trillion kilograms of water has shifted Earth’s moment of inertia, potentially lengthening the day by 0.06 microseconds.
This effect, while incredibly small and imperceptible in daily life, highlights the profound influence human engineering can have on planetary-scale physics. The dam has also caused measurable changes in Earth's gravity field, according to satellite observations.
But it’s not just time that’s affected—geologists warn that the dam’s enormous reservoir has triggered seismic activity, landslides, and altered ecosystems. Environmental experts have long debated whether the benefits of energy generation and flood control outweigh the ecological and geological consequences.
This is a stark reminder that when humanity builds on a massive scale, Earth itself feels the shift.
#ThreeGorgesDam #EarthRotation #NASA #Hydropower #ClimateImpactNASA scientists have reported that China’s colossal Three Gorges Dam—the largest hydroelectric dam in the world—has such immense mass and water displacement that it can alter Earth’s rotation ever so slightly. According to the agency, the redistribution of 39 trillion kilograms of water has shifted Earth’s moment of inertia, potentially lengthening the day by 0.06 microseconds.
This effect, while incredibly small and imperceptible in daily life, highlights the profound influence human engineering can have on planetary-scale physics. The dam has also caused measurable changes in Earth's gravity field, according to satellite observations.
But it’s not just time that’s affected—geologists warn that the dam’s enormous reservoir has triggered seismic activity, landslides, and altered ecosystems. Environmental experts have long debated whether the benefits of energy generation and flood control outweigh the ecological and geological consequences.
This is a stark reminder that when humanity builds on a massive scale, Earth itself feels the shift.
#ThreeGorgesDam #EarthRotation #NASA #Hydropower #ClimateImpact
