Scientists have long suspected that when the Three Gorges dam in China is filled, Earth's rotation is affected.

The dam is located in Hubei Province, China, and is where the largest hydroelectric power station on the planet is located, capable of generating 22500 MW. When it is full, water rises to 175 meters above sea level and 95 meters above river level. The accumulated water reservoir has the potential to flood up to 632 square kilometers of surface area and includes 42 billion tonnes of water.

NASA scientists confirm that when the dam is full, there is a phenomenon called the moment of inertia, which affects the rotation of the Earth.

According to the researchers, the full dam slows down the rotation of the Earth, increases the duration of the day by 0.06 microseconds and even manages to change the shape of the planet, making it more rounded in the middle and flattened at the poles.



Images source: 1, 2.

Reference