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

“Earth’s rotational pole actually changes a lot. Our study shows that among climate-related causes, the redistribution of groundwater actually has the largest impact on the drift of the rotational pole,” said study co-author Ki-Weon Seo, a geophysicist at Seoul National University in South Korea.

Recent studies have raised eyebrows with claims that Earth has tilted by 31.5 inches. This shift may seem subtle but could have significant implications. This unexpected change in Earth’s orientation is tied to various factors,

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,