How dams reshape our planet

You have likely seen a dam before and may even benefit from its energy-producing capacity. But do you really know what a dam is and how it works? Do you also know that dams reshape the world around us in incredible ways?

China’s Three Gorges Dam, for instance, is so massive that it actually slows the Earth’s rotation. When the dam is at capacity, its reservoir holds 42 billion tons of water creating a shift in mass powerful enough to slow down the planet’s rotation, increasing the length of a day by 0.06 microseconds. It might sound unbelievable, but it’s actually true!

But not all big dams’ effects are as unnoticeable as this one. Some water-holding dams can be quite disastrous. The 1975 Banqiao Reservoir Dam failure caused the catastrophic collapse of 62 dams, including the Banqiao Dam, and killed more than 171,000 people. It also caused 11 million people to lose their homes.

However, it's not all doom and gloom since dams do have their share of benefits. They provide energy and water for farming. Reservoirs created by dams also help control flooding, and by filling valleys in this manner they can be used for boating, fishing, and other human recreation.

Want to hear more about the many current and future dams around the world and their stories both good and bad? Then you may want to watch our video.

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