https://www.newsweek.com/earth-rotation-changing-speed-not-seen-before-11684824
By Melissa Fleur Afshar
Life and Trends Reporter
Days are getting longer as a result of climate change, as warmer temperatures lead to a slowing of Earth’s rotation at a rate scientists say has not been seen for at least 3.6 million years.
New research shows that rising sea levels caused by melting ice sheets are redistributing mass across the planet, reducing how fast Earth spins and gradually lengthening the day. Researchers found that days are currently increasing by about 1.33 milliseconds per century due to climate-related factors, a pace that stands out sharply in the planet’s recent geological history.
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“This rapid increase in day length implies that the rate of modern climate change has been unprecedented at least since the late Pliocene, 3.6 million years ago,” paper author and geodesist professor Benedikt Soja of ETH Zurich, Switzerland, said in a statement. “The current rapid rise in day length can thus be attributed primarily to human influences.
“By the end of the 21st century, climate change is expected to affect day length even more strongly than the Moon. Even though the changes are only milliseconds, they can cause problems in many areas, for example in precise space navigation, which requires accurate information on Earth’s rotation.”
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Looking ahead, the researchers say climate change could have an even greater influence on Earth’s rotation. By the end of the 21st century, they estimate that climate-driven effects on day length may surpass the slowing impact caused by the Moon’s gravitational pull.
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