Consider the following statements:1. The north pole has shifted in a n...
- Since the 1990s, climate change has caused billions of tonnes of glacial ice to melt into oceans. This has caused the Earth’s poles to move in new directions.
- The north pole has shifted in a new eastward direction since the 1990s, because of changes in the hydrosphere (meaning the way in which water is stored on Earth). Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- From 1995 to 2020, the average speed of drift was 17 times faster than from 1981 to 1995.
- Also, in the last four decades, the poles moved by about 4 metres in distance.
- The calculations were based on satellite data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission.
- Causes of Polar Drift:
- Ice Melting:The faster ice melting under global warming was the most likely cause of the directional change of the polar drift in the 1990s.
- As glaciers melt, water mass redistributes, causing shifts in the planet's axis.
- Change in Non-Glacial Regions (Terrestrial Water Storage): Due to climate change and unsustainable consumption of groundwater for irrigation and other anthropogenic activities.
- Groundwater Depletion: As millions of tonnes of water from below the land is pumped out every year for drinking, industries or agriculture, most of it eventually joins the sea, thus redistributing the planet’s mass. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
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Consider the following statements:1. The north pole has shifted in a n...
Statement 1: The north pole has shifted in a new eastward direction since the 1990s.
Statement 2: The unsustainable consumption of groundwater is one of the causes behind polar drift.
Both statements 1 and 2 are correct.
Explanation:
1. Shift in the north pole:
The Earth's geographic North Pole is the point where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. Over time, this point has been observed to shift due to various factors. Since the 1990s, the north pole has been moving in a new eastward direction at an average rate of approximately 10 centimeters per year. This shift is known as polar drift or true polar wander.
2. Causes of polar drift:
The movement of the Earth's north pole is influenced by a combination of natural and human-induced factors. While natural factors include the redistribution of mass within the Earth, such as changes in the movement of molten iron within the planet's core, human activities can also contribute to polar drift.
One of the human-induced factors mentioned in statement 2 is the unsustainable consumption of groundwater. Groundwater is the water stored beneath the Earth's surface in underground aquifers. Excessive pumping of groundwater for various purposes, such as agriculture, industrial processes, and domestic use, can lead to the depletion of aquifers. This depletion can cause changes in the distribution of mass within the Earth, affecting the overall balance and rotational dynamics.
When large amounts of groundwater are extracted from specific regions, the weight of the water is reduced in those areas. This can lead to uneven distribution of mass on the Earth's surface, causing a shift in the north pole as the planet tries to reestablish equilibrium.
Therefore, the unsustainable consumption of groundwater can be considered as one of the causes behind polar drift, as mentioned in statement 2.
In conclusion, both statements 1 and 2 are correct. The north pole has indeed shifted in a new eastward direction since the 1990s, and the unsustainable consumption of groundwater can contribute to polar drift due to changes in the distribution of mass on the Earth's surface.
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