New research shows that pumping groundwater has resulted in a change to the planet’s tilt and rotation, increasing sea levels too.

As Earth moves on a rotational pole, the distribution of water on the planet has a major impact on the distribution of mass. So much so, scientists have discovered a tilt of a whopping 31.5 inches in less than two decades, as well as a sea level rise of 0.24 inches.

This is a direct result of pumping groundwater according to a study published by Geophysical Research Letters. The lead expert and geophysicist at Seoul National University, Ki-Weon Seo, explained how “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,” says Seo.

He adds how the Earth’s pole is “like adding a tiny bit of weight to a spinning top, the Earth spins a little differently as water is moved around.”

Scientists at NASA released similar findings in 2016 to alert the public to the fact that the redistribution of water can in fact change the rotation of the Earth. The new study echoes this sentiment, adding specific figures to the research.

Seo said: “I’m very glad to find the unexplained cause of the rotation pole drift,

“On the other hand, as a resident of Earth and a father, I’m concerned and surprised to see that pumping groundwater is another source of sea-level rise.”

Geophysical Research Letters’s new study includes research dating back to 1993 which shows pumping 2,150 gigatons of groundwater has resulted in the 31.5 inch tilt. The water pumping is due to both irrigation and human use.

Over the course of 17 years, scientists studied and observed the changes in the Earth’s rotational pole and the movement of water. The groundwater distribution was the stand out reasoning for the planet's drift.

“Observing changes in Earth’s rotational pole is useful,” Seo says, “for understanding continent-scale water storage variations.”

The new data may also help conservationists understand how to tackle the continued rising sea levels among other climate issues.