Climate Change Slows Earth's Spin, Lengthening Days at Unprecedented Rate
A new scientific consensus reveals that human-driven climate change is having a profound effect on Earth's rotation, making our days measurably longer. Research indicates that the accelerated melting of polar ice sheets and glaciers is raising sea levels, which redistributes the planet's mass toward the equator. This shift acts like a figure skater extending their arms, slowing the Earth's spin and increasing the length of a day by 1.33 milliseconds per century over the last 20 years. This rate of change is not just a minor fluctuation but represents an unprecedented shift in the planet's dynamics. Scientists from institutions including the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich have determined that this acceleration in the lengthening of days is the fastest observed in at least the last 3.6 million years of Earth's history. This conclusion was reached by comparing modern satellite measurements with climate data derived from fossil archives, such as foraminifera, whose chemical composition helps infer historical sea-level fluctuations and corresponding changes in day length. While a few extra milliseconds each century may seem negligible, the implications are significant for precision technologies that rely on hyper-accurate timekeeping. Systems like GPS coordination, satellite communications, and financial networks require exact data on the Earth's rotation. Furthermore, scientists emphasize that this subtle change serves as a stark indicator of the massive, human-induced transformations occurring on our planet, making the lengthening days a tangible signal of a much larger climate crisis.
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Days have lengthened by the equivalent of 1.33 milliseconds per century in the past 20 years. The change may affect precise systems that rely on accurate data on the earth’s spin. Accelerated melting of polar ice sheets is raising sea levels, slowing the earth's rotation. Climate change is ...
Earth's days are becoming longer as human-driven climate change melts glaciers and ice sheets, redistributing our planet's mass and slowing its rotation, new research suggests. As a result, our days are currently lengthening by 1.33 milliseconds per century – a feat that has been largely ...
Climate change slows Earth's spin: Day lengthening unprecedented in 3.6 million years
Comparing fossil archives with modern measurements – Today's increase in day length stands out clearly in climate history ... Climate change is lengthening our days because rising sea levels slow Earth's rotation. Researchers from the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich now show that the ...
Days really are dragging! Length of days on Earth is increasing at an 'unprecedented' rate - and scientists say climate change is to blame | Daily Mail Online
In a new study, researchers from ... that the length of days on Earth is increasing at an 'unprecedented' rate. Days are getting longer at a rate of 1.33 milliseconds per century, a rate of change faster than any other point in 3.6 million years of Earth's history. Now, scientists say that climate change is ...
The chemical composition of the foraminifera fossils can infer sea-level fluctuations, helping scientists derive the corresponding changes in day length. ... Previous research showed that from 2000 to 2020, our days were lengthened by 1.33 milliseconds per century due to climate-related factors.
Human-driven climate change is slowing Earth's rotation at a rate not seen in 3.6 million years | Live Science
Sign up for our skywatching newsletter and explore the universe with us! Signup + ... Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore · An account already exists for this email address, please log in. ... Human-driven climate change is slowing Earth's rotation at a rate not seen in 3.6 million years, with sea level rise increasing the length of days ...
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