Recent research published in Geophysical Research Letters reveals that climate change could lead to significant shifts in the terrestrial poles, with projections indicating a possible movement of up to 27 meters by the year 2100.

This shift is largely driven by the melting of glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, which redistributes oceanic mass and contributes to the movement of the poles.

Such a substantial alteration in pole positions could complicate satellite navigation and the operation of space probes, as the terrestrial axis serves as a crucial reference point for mapping positions.

Researchers from the University of Zurich conducted an analysis of pole movements from 1900 to 2018, using this data to project future changes under various climate scenarios.

In the worst-case scenario for greenhouse gas emissions, the North Pole could shift approximately 27 meters west by 2100; even in more optimistic scenarios, it is still expected to move around 12 meters from its position in 1900.

Future research will delve deeper into the historical movements of the poles and explore the long-term impacts of human-induced climate change on this critical phenomenon.

The study emphasizes that the melting of ice is a major factor influencing the movement of the poles, surpassing the effects of glacial isostatic rebound, which is the Earth's crust rising after the last Ice Age.