Earth's shape is becoming rounder due to polar ice melt

A study published in the journal JGR Solid Earth indicates that Earth's solid surface is becoming rounder at an accelerated rate. This phenomenon is driven by rising global temperatures and the resulting melting of polar ice, which redistributes water across the planet.

Christopher Kotsakis, a professor of geodesy at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, utilized a new method to analyze Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data to track these changes. The research suggests that the poles are rising—with an uplift rate of approximately 0.5 to 1 millimeter per year between 2011 and 2015—while the equatorial bulge is simultaneously shrinking at a similar rate.

The findings highlight the significant impact of human-driven climate change on the physical structure of the planet. The rate of change appears to be increasing every decade, as the redistribution of meltwater continues to alter the planet's oblate spheroid shape.