It might sound unbelievable, but China’s Three Gorges Dam is so massive that it actually had a tiny effect on the Earth’s rotation. That’s not science fiction—it’s a real phenomenon confirmed by NASA scientists.
What Is the Three Gorges Dam?
The Three Gorges Dam is the world’s largest hydroelectric dam, located on the Yangtze River in China. When it was filled, it stored more than 42 billion tons of water—enough to slightly shift the balance of Earth itself.
It’s an engineering marvel, but what really amazed scientists is how it affected our planet’s spin.
How Did the Three Gorges Dam Slow Down Earth?
This has everything to do with a physics rule called the conservation of angular momentum.
Picture an ice skater spinning. When they stretch out their arms, they spin slower. When they pull their arms in, they spin faster. Earth works the same way.
When the Three Gorges Dam held back billions of tons of water, it redistributed Earth’s mass slightly away from the center. This caused Earth’s rotation to slow down by about 0.06 microseconds—just 60 nanoseconds.
Did the Three Gorges Dam Shift Earth’s Axis Too?
Yes! Along with slowing Earth’s spin a tiny bit, the Three Gorges Dam also shifted Earth’s axis by about 2 centimeters (0.8 inches). That’s incredibly small, but still measurable by scientists using satellites.
Not at all.
The changes caused by the Three Gorges Dam are so tiny that they have no effect on our daily lives. It won’t change how long your day is or how GPS works. Still, it’s a fascinating reminder of how human engineering can impact the natural world—even at a planetary level.
Conclusion: The Power of the Three Gorges Dam
The Three Gorges Dam is more than just a dam—it’s a symbol of human capability. It proves that large-scale projects can even make our planet wobble—if only a little.
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