Earth has tilted 31.5 inches and it could have frightening consequences

Scientists aren't sure what to make of news that the Earth has tilted 31.5 inches over the past two decades, although the reason for this change is really quite worrying.

Climate change is a terrifying thing to really dig into, and it only seems to be getting worse as the years go on.

Disturbing predictions of death made by scientists are accompanied by news of billionaires using 207 years worth of pollution on their private jets alone, but one recent study has shown worrying trends in an area that many might not quite expect.

Published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, a study focused on the drift of the Earth's pole has illuminated that the pumping and redistribution of groundwater has been a significant contributor to the rise of the global sea level since 1993.

This has caused the Earth's rotational tilt to shift by 31.5 inches, raising the sea level by 0.24 inches overall.

While this might not seem a significant amount at first glance, it represents an incredibly worrying trend when it comes to climate change, and the sheer size of the Earth makes what would otherwise be miniscule numbers be far more significant in reality.

The study explains that redistributing pumped groundwater is: "Like adding a tiny bit of weight to a spinning top," and that "the Earth spins a little differently as water is moved around."

The tilt effects of groundwater pumping have been visualized in images like this (Geographical Research Letters)

Tracking data between 1993 and 2010, it's estimated that around 2,150 gigatons - yes, that's an actual measurement - of groundwater has been redistributed around the Earth. This has mostly been used for human consumption and irrigation, and then found itself in the ocean afterwards.

As reported by Popular Mechanics, the movement of the water from midlatitudes - such as western North America and northwestern India - make a significant different to the tilt of the Earth, as this redistribution of water (and thus weight) in such volume massively affects our planet.

It's perhaps not all bad news though, regardless of the worrying and potentially irreversible shift in the Earth's climate and sea level.

Rising sea level has already had devastating effects on the Earth (Rafael Guadeluppe/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

One of the study's authors, Ki-Weon Seo, has denoted that this new understanding could help us prepare better for the future:

"Observing changes in the Earth's rotational pole is useful for understanding continent-scale water storage variations.

"Were there any hydrological regime changes resulting in the warming climate? Polar motion could hold the answer."

While it will be difficult to change what has already occurred, the knowledge that we have know might hopefully allow us to adjust for the future, and reduce the continued effect in the coming years.

Whether this will actually be implemented in the face of growing and unsustainable demand, though, is something you'll have to judge yourself.