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The speed of Earth’s rotation, which determines the length of each day, is being altered by the impacts of human-induced climate change, a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed. The research suggests that polar ice melt caused by global warming is changing the planet’s rotation and increasing the duration of each day, a trend expected to accelerate over the coming century as humans persist in emitting greenhouse gases, according to a report from CNN.
Although the changes are minute, measured in milliseconds per day, they have significant implications for our technology-dependent world, particularly for computing systems like GPS. This phenomenon underscores the profound influence humans are exerting on the planet. “This is a testament to the gravity of ongoing climate change,” said Surendra Adhikari, a geophysicist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and a report author.
The Earth‘s rotation speed, which determines the number of hours, minutes, and seconds in a day, is influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including processes in the planet’s fluid core, the lingering effects of glacial melt since the last ice age, and the melting of polar ice due to climate change.
Historically, the moon’s influence has been the dominant factor, lengthening the day by a few milliseconds per century through its gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans.
However, the new research indicates that the impact of climate change on the length of the day may be more significant than previously thought. If greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, “climate change could become the new dominant factor,” surpassing the moon’s influence, according to Benedikt Soja, a study author and assistant professor of space geodesy at ETH Zurich.
The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward: as global warming causes glaciers and ice sheets to melt, the resulting meltwater flows from the poles towards the equator, altering the planet’s shape by flattening it at the poles and causing it to bulge more in the middle. This change in shape slows down the Earth’s rotation, much like a spinning ice skater who extends their arms outward, away from their body, to slow their spin.
A group of international researchers conducted a study spanning 200 years, from 1900 to 2100, to investigate the impact of climate change on the length of a day. They utilised observational data and climate models to analyse the past effects and project future implications.
The study revealed that the influence of climate change on day length has grown significantly. In the 20th century, sea level rise caused by climate change led to variations in day length ranging from 0.3 to 1 milliseconds. However, over the last 20 years, the researchers found that the day length increased by 1.33 milliseconds per century, which is “significantly higher than at any time in the 20th century,” according to the report.
The report also indicated that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, causing ocean warming and accelerated ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica, the rate of change in day length will rise dramatically. If emissions are not curbed, climate change could lengthen a day by 2.62 milliseconds by 2100, surpassing the natural effects of the moon. Surendra Adhikari, one of the researchers, told CNN, “In barely 200 years, we will have altered the Earth’s climate system so much that we are witnessing its impact on the very way Earth spins.”
Although a few milliseconds of extra time per day may seem insignificant to humans, it has implications for technology. Accurate timekeeping is crucial for GPS, communication, and navigation systems, which rely on highly precise atomic time based on the frequency of certain atoms. Since the late 1960s, coordinated universal time (UTC) has been used to set time zones, and it is adjusted using “leap seconds” to maintain alignment with the Earth’s rotation.
Some studies have suggested a link between increased day length and a higher frequency of earthquakes, according to Mostafa Kiani Shahvandi, a study author and geoscientist at ETH Zurich. However, this connection remains speculative and requires further research to establish a clear relationship.
Although the changes are minute, measured in milliseconds per day, they have significant implications for our technology-dependent world, particularly for computing systems like GPS. This phenomenon underscores the profound influence humans are exerting on the planet. “This is a testament to the gravity of ongoing climate change,” said Surendra Adhikari, a geophysicist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and a report author.
The Earth‘s rotation speed, which determines the number of hours, minutes, and seconds in a day, is influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including processes in the planet’s fluid core, the lingering effects of glacial melt since the last ice age, and the melting of polar ice due to climate change.
Historically, the moon’s influence has been the dominant factor, lengthening the day by a few milliseconds per century through its gravitational pull on the Earth’s oceans.
However, the new research indicates that the impact of climate change on the length of the day may be more significant than previously thought. If greenhouse gas emissions continue unabated, “climate change could become the new dominant factor,” surpassing the moon’s influence, according to Benedikt Soja, a study author and assistant professor of space geodesy at ETH Zurich.
The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward: as global warming causes glaciers and ice sheets to melt, the resulting meltwater flows from the poles towards the equator, altering the planet’s shape by flattening it at the poles and causing it to bulge more in the middle. This change in shape slows down the Earth’s rotation, much like a spinning ice skater who extends their arms outward, away from their body, to slow their spin.
A group of international researchers conducted a study spanning 200 years, from 1900 to 2100, to investigate the impact of climate change on the length of a day. They utilised observational data and climate models to analyse the past effects and project future implications.
The study revealed that the influence of climate change on day length has grown significantly. In the 20th century, sea level rise caused by climate change led to variations in day length ranging from 0.3 to 1 milliseconds. However, over the last 20 years, the researchers found that the day length increased by 1.33 milliseconds per century, which is “significantly higher than at any time in the 20th century,” according to the report.
The report also indicated that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase, causing ocean warming and accelerated ice loss in Greenland and Antarctica, the rate of change in day length will rise dramatically. If emissions are not curbed, climate change could lengthen a day by 2.62 milliseconds by 2100, surpassing the natural effects of the moon. Surendra Adhikari, one of the researchers, told CNN, “In barely 200 years, we will have altered the Earth’s climate system so much that we are witnessing its impact on the very way Earth spins.”
Although a few milliseconds of extra time per day may seem insignificant to humans, it has implications for technology. Accurate timekeeping is crucial for GPS, communication, and navigation systems, which rely on highly precise atomic time based on the frequency of certain atoms. Since the late 1960s, coordinated universal time (UTC) has been used to set time zones, and it is adjusted using “leap seconds” to maintain alignment with the Earth’s rotation.
Some studies have suggested a link between increased day length and a higher frequency of earthquakes, according to Mostafa Kiani Shahvandi, a study author and geoscientist at ETH Zurich. However, this connection remains speculative and requires further research to establish a clear relationship.
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