Groundwater pumping by humans has tilted Earth's axis

Watch:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMnlMXyTj8k

Perhaps it's only geophysicists who are aware of the importance of underground reservoirs on maintaining Earth's balance. Geophysicist Ki-Weon Seo from Seoul National University has discovered that humans have extracted so much groundwater from under our feet that they have changed the tilt of Earth's axis. This shift has been significant enough to physically relocate the geographic North Pole. The mass of polar ice is drifting by 4.36 centimetres a year. Professor Seo calculated that we extracted more than two trillion tons of groundwater between 1993 and 2010, causing Earth to wobble. Seo added that the pumping of groundwater has caused sea levels to rise by 6.24 millimetres.

Professor Seo explained how groundwater affects Earth's gravity. He said: "Every mass moving around on the surface of the Earth can change the rotation axis." Scientists have only recently discovered how groundwater can change Earth's axis. They previously believed water-driven shifts were caused by melting glaciers and ice caps. Seo and his colleagues were puzzled at how this could cause such a tilt. They concluded that the depletion of underground water was also a factor. Much of the extraction of groundwater is due to irrigation, especially in north-western India and western North America. Another researcher said: "The very way the planet wobbles is impacted by our activities."

3. WATER BAN: Students A strongly believe we should not be using undersground water; Students B strongly believe we should. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. GEOSCIENCES: What do you know about these geosciences? How useful are they? Why? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	Subject	Usefulness	Why?
Geophysics
Geography
Geology
Geometry
Geopolitics
Geobotany

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1.	aware	a.	A sloping position or movement.
2.	reservoir	b.	A slight change in position, direction, or tendency.
3.	extracted	c.	Having knowledge or perception of a situation or fact.
4.	tilt	d.	Move or cause to move unsteadily from side to side.
5.	shift	e.	A large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply.
6.	calculated	f.	Removed or took out, especially by effort or force.
7.	wobble	g.	Found out the amount or number of something mathematically.

    Paragraph 2

8.	gravity	h.	Had a strong effect on someone or something.
9.	mass	i.	The force that attracts a body towards the centre of the earth, or towards any other physical body having mass.
10.	rotation	j.	A large body of matter with no definite shape.
11.	glacier	k.	Reduction in the number or quantity of something.
12.	depletion	l.	A slowly moving mass or river of ice formed by the accumulation and compaction of snow on mountains.
13.	irrigation	m.	The action of moving about an axis or centre.
14.	impacted	n.	The supply of water to land or crops to help growth, typically by means of channels.

 

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. aware
2. importance
3. discovered
4. relocate
5. extracted
6. affects
7. rotation
8. puzzled
9. depletion
10. activities

1. using up
2. taken out
3. turning
4. significance
5. actions
6. move
7. conscious
8. influences
9. confused
10. found out

Role play

Role  A – Watering Flowers You think watering flowers is the most important use of water. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why):

Role  B – Washing the Car You think washing the car is the most important use of water. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why):

Role  C – Aquariums You think aquariums is the most important use of water. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why):

Role  D – Water Parks You think water parks is the most important use of water. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their uses. Also, tell the others which is the least important of these (and why):  OR Washing dishes Fountains Watering golf courses

Discussion - Earth's Axis

1. What do you know about groundwater?
2. What do you know about Earth's balance?
3. What do you know about geophysics?
4. How important is it that Earth tilts at the correct angle?
5. What do you know about the North Pole?
6. What does it matter if the North Pole is drifting?
7. Should we stop using so much groundwater?
8. How can we conserve water?

11. What do you know about gravity? like reading this article? Why/not?
12. What do you think of when you hear the word 'Earth'?
13. What do you think about what you read?
14. How much do you worry about melting glaciers and ice caps?
15. What can farms do if they do not have enough water?
16. What does it matter if the world wobbles more?
17. What three adjectives best describe this story?
18. What are we doing to impact Earth?
19. What questions would you like to ask the geophysicists?