A hidden movement in the Earth's core its center of mass is moving less than scientists thought

 

The Earth may appear to be a stationary object in space, but its center of mass moves slightly back and forth throughout the year, as a result of the movement of enormous quantities of water, snow, and air between different regions of the planet.

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Now, a team led by geophysicist Donald Argos of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has recalculated this movement, using highly precise measurements from satellites and the Global Positioning System, along with models that account for the deformation of the Earth's crust caused by changes in the distribution of water and ice. The annual movement of the Earth's center of mass is now estimated to be about half of what scientists thought eight years ago.

To understand the result, a distinction must be made between the Earth's center of mass and its geometric center. The center of mass is the point around which the Earth's mass is balanced, including the land, oceans, atmosphere, and water above the continents, and around which satellites orbit due to gravity.

The geometric center represents the average position of the Earth's surface. When a large mass of water or air moves from one hemisphere to the other, the position of the center of mass shifts by a few millimeters relative to the Earth's surface. This movement is extremely small, but it is important because scientists use the center of mass as a precise reference point for determining satellite positions, taking altitude measurements, and navigation.

Why does the Earth's center of mass move?

The movement occurs throughout the year due to a natural cycle of water and air. In March, snowfall in parts of North America and Eurasia reaches high levels, while continental waters in the Amazon basin peak around April.

Parts of this water are later transferred to the oceans, which reach their seasonal peak in October. Monsoon waters from Southeast Asia and changes in Pacific Ocean mass also contribute to the movement of the center.

The atmosphere also plays a role; the cold, dense air in Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and North Africa contributes to a seasonal effect, while this effect shifts toward South America and South Africa in the middle of the year. These patterns confirm that the movement is not a change in the Earth itself, but rather a result of the redistribution of its mass.