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Discover the Giant Dam That Actually Slowed Down the Speed of Earth's Rotation
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News18•11-10-2026, 12:03
Discover the Giant Dam That Actually Slowed Down the Speed of Earth's Rotation
- •The Three Gorges Dam built on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, China is considered the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world.
- •According to NASA scientists, accumulating about 40 cubic kilometers of water in its reservoir can increase the duration of a day on Earth by about 0.06 microseconds.
- •This incredible phenomenon happens because storing massive amounts of water in one place alters the distribution of Earth's mass, slightly affecting its rotation speed.
- •The dam is approximately 2335 meters long and 185 meters high, with construction beginning in the year 1994 for electricity generation, flood control, and improved shipping.
- •The Three Gorges Dam features 34 turbine generators with a massive total installed capacity of 22500 megawatts.
Key Questions Answered
The Three Gorges Dam, built on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, China, is known for its massive scale and ability to influence Earth's rotation due to the immense volume of water stored in its reservoir.
According to NASA scientists, accumulating about 40 cubic kilometers of water in the dam's reservoir alters the Earth's mass distribution, which can increase the duration of a single day by about 0.06 microseconds.
The Three Gorges Dam has a total power generation capacity of 22,500 megawatts using 34 turbine generators. It spans approximately 2,335 meters in length and stands about 185 meters high.
