Earth’s Shape Accelerates Toward Roundness
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New research shows Earth’s solid surface is becoming rounder faster as polar ice melts. The study, published in the journal JGR Solid Earth, used Global Navigation Satellite System data to measure surface motion. Between 2011 and 2015, polar uplift averaged about 0.02 to 0.04 inches per year, while the equatorial bulge contracted at a similar rate. The rate of change has accelerated compared to 1997‑2000, with each decade seeing a 0.01‑inch increase in polar uplift and a 0.02‑inch increase in equatorial contraction. These minuscule shifts, driven by melting glaciers, indicate a measurable, hastening increase in Earth’s roundness.
New research shows Earth’s solid surface is becoming rounder faster as polar ice melts. The study, published in the journal JGR Solid Earth, used Global Navigation Satellite System data to measure surface motion. Between 2011 and 2015, polar uplift averaged about 0.02 to 0.04 inches per year, while the equatorial bulge contracted at a similar rate. The rate of change has accelerated compared to 1997‑2000, with each decade seeing a 0.01‑inch increase in polar uplift and a 0.02‑inch increase in equatorial contraction. These minuscule shifts, driven by melting glaciers, indicate a measurable, hastening increase in Earth’s roundness.
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Timeline
- On September 17 2026 ScienceAlert reports Earth’s shape changing faster.
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