Following an earlier post on the melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet, I wanted to look at its implications for the Earth's spin axis. By altering the distribution of weight, the melting of ice sheets has caused a dramatic shift in polar motion towards the UK at a rate of ~18 cm/year (previously the North Pole was moving away from Canada at ~8 cm/year) since 2000.
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| The spin axis of the Earth was drifting toward Canada prior to 2000, however, climate-driven ice loss has shifted the direction towards the east (NASA, 2016) |
Overall, the melting of the GIS is responsible for ~40% of the polar movement, while 25% is affected by gains in ice volume in East Antarctica and losses in West Antarctica. Redistribution of water on continents due to melting glaciers is also contributing to 25% of the axial wobble. Although this shift is harmless, it is a powerful reminder of the extent to which humanity is affecting the Earth.
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| Changes to water storage on the continents (NASA, 2016) |
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