A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that climate change is having a profound impact on our planet’s rotation. The research, entitled “The increasingly dominant role of climate change on length of day variations,” shows that the melting of glaciers and polar ice sheets is causing the Earth’s rotation to slow down, leading to longer days.
The study found that the present rate of increase in the length of day is higher than at any point in the 20th century. If greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, the climate-induced slowdown in the Earth’s rotation could become even more pronounced, surpassing the effect of lunar tidal friction.
The researchers used observations and reconstructions of mass variations at the Earth’s surface since 1900 to show that the climate-induced slowdown in the Earth’s rotation has accelerated since 2000. They also found that surface mass transport fully explains the accelerating trend in the Earth’s oblateness observed in the past three decades.
The study’s findings have important implications for precise timekeeping and space navigation. The researchers warn that the slowing down of the Earth’s rotation could have significant effects on our planet’s geodetic processes, including polar motion and the length of day.
This study highlights the unprecedented impact of climate change on our planet and the need to continue monitoring its effects. As the Earth’s rotation continues to slow down, we can expect to see longer days and potentially significant changes to our planet’s geodetic processes.