Humans Have Pumped So Much Groundwater That It's Changing How Earth Spins

Taking water from underground sources has caused Earth to tilt nearly three feet eastward over 17 years.
Redistributing groundwater has the biggest effect on the shift in Earth's rotational pole.
Most of the groundwater loss during that time was in western North America and northwestern India.
Removing groundwater from the middle latitudes causes a greater shift in Earth's spin.
The long-term changes in Earth's spin will influence the climate, and scientists plan to study historical data to understand future effects.