The Baihetan Dam is the largest hydroelectric power station in China. (Image credit: VCG/VCG via Getty Images)
Recent research shows that the construction of thousands of dams since 1835 has caused changes in the wobble of the Earth's poles.
Scientists have found that massive dams hold back so much water that it redistributes the mass across the globe, changing the position of the earth's crust relative to the mantle, the middle layer of our planet.
The Earth's mantle is viscous, and the crust forms a hard shell that can slide over it. The mass of the crust, which causes it to shift relative to the mantle, also causes the Earth's poles to move, the researchers say.
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Sourse: www.livescience.com
