China’s Three Gorges Dam and its subtle effects on the Earth

It took 18 years to complete the Three Gorges Dam, but not without consequences for our Planet which underwent an alteration of the Earth's rotation and a shift of the Earth's pole

With its ambitious infrastructure projects, China has long been a subject of interest. The most striking example is the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei Province; this is the world’s biggest hydroelectric project, taking 18 years to build, and reaching full-scale production in 2012.

The Three Gorges Dam has become a signature of modern Chinese engineering with an energy production capacity of 22,500 MW and the ability to store over 10.3 trillion gallons of water. In any case, the effect of the dam goes way beyond energy production and flood control.

Impact of the Dam on Earth’s rotation

Scientific studies have shown that the huge redistribution of water by the construction has had a slight effect on the rotation of Earth. The consequence of having 10.3 trillion gallons of water moved to an elevation of 574 feet above sea level was that Earth’s rotation slowed down by roughly 0.06 microseconds, which altered the moment of inertia of the planet and thus the length of the day.

It also shifted the Earth’s pole by two centimeters. Aside from slowing the rotation of Earth, this dam has also shifted the Earth’s pole by about two centimeters. Though these changes have no relevant impact on everyday human life, it is of significant interest to the scientific world. Extremely precise measuring devices, including atomic clocks, must be adjusted for these minute changes in the length of a day.

The above case amply illustrates how large-scale infrastructure created by man has an effect on the geophysics of the planet. The direct impact on the population is negligible, but from a scientific and engineering viewpoint, the implications are that large projects need to be considered for their effect on Earth systems.

Holistic planning becomes necessary

The Three Gorges Dam is yet another classic example of how infrastructure planning and implementation should be in tune with Nature, apart from economic and energy aspects, long-term environmental and geophysical consequences must be taken into consideration. Protection of our Earth always has to be at the forefront of any immediate interest or profit.

Source: IFLScience