This Hydroelectric Dam Is So Large It Slows The Rotation of The Earth
People affect the Earth in small and large ways
The Three Gorges Dam in China is a massive construct that spans the Yangtze River. The Yangtze is the longest river in Asia. The flow of the river is so powerful that the Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydroelectric station in the world by power produced. The Three Gorges Dam is impressive for a host of reasons, but one reason is especially impressive.
The Three Gorges Dam is truly massive. It is hundreds of feet tall and over a mile long. It has 34 massive hydroelectric turbines that produce thousands of megawatts of power. The reservoir measures nearly 500 square miles in size and can hold 31,900,000 acre⋅ft of river water.
All of these metrics are highly impressive, and the dam is truly a feat of modern engineering. But it also has another impressive metric. The Three Gorges Dam is so large and holds back so much water that it actually slows down the rotation of the Earth.
Moment of Inertia
