Pumping an unimaginable amount of groundwater out of the earth is why Earth has tilted over two dozen degrees, a study found.

Earth has therefore tilted it on its axis at a rate of about 1.7 inches (4.3 centimetres) a year, giving a total of 78.5 centimetres, during the 18-year study period.

Groundwater pumping tilts Earth’s rotation, raising sea levels and impacting climate change globally, according to a new study.

A new study reveals that excessive groundwater extraction, especially in India, has shifted Earth's axis by 31.5 inches, impacting polar motion.

Pumping groundwater appears to have a greater consequence than ever previously thought. But now—thanks to a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters— we can see that, in less than two decades, Earth has tilted 31.5 inches as a result of pumping groundwater. This equates to .24 inches of sea level rise.

I’m very glad to find the unexplained cause of the rotation pole drift,” Seo said. “On the other hand, as a resident of Earth and a father, I’m concerned and surprised that pumping groundwater is another source of sea-level rise,