Earth shape deformation accelerates due to polar uplift

A new study led by geologist Christophoros Kotsakis from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki reveals that Earth is undergoing an accelerated change in shape. The research, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, indicates that the rate at which polar regions are rising has doubled in less than 20 years.

This phenomenon involves a simultaneous acceleration of polar uplift and an increasing rate of equatorial sinking, making the solid Earth appear slightly less flattened than it has been. Scientists suggest that a primary driver of this deformation is the rapid melting of ice in extreme polar regions, such as Greenland and Antarctica. As massive amounts of ice weight are removed from the crust, the land responds by rising, a process related to glacial isostatic adjustment.

While the Earth's crust feels solid, it remains susceptible to deformation over geological timescales due to mass redistribution, tectonic movements, and the removal of ice loads.