Global warming-induced melting ice in Greenland and Antarctica has been found to be causing the Earth’s rotation to slow down at an accelerated rate, impacting our global timekeeping system, according to a recent study.
The slowdown in the Earth’s rotation has been affecting the Earth’s core and overall rotation speed, leading to changes in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the standard for timekeeping worldwide. In fact, timekeepers have had to add “leap seconds” 27 times since 1972 in order to account for these changes, but there may be a need to reduce leap seconds in the future due to the Earth’s rotation slowing down at an even faster pace.
While the moon’s gravitational pull has long been known to affect the Earth’s rotation, new research suggests that melting ice from polar regions also plays a significant role. As ice melts and redistributes water, it causes shifts in the Earth’s mass distribution, ultimately impacting its rotation and potentially leading to significant changes to UTC by 2029.
This research underscores how global warming not only affects the environment but also has far-reaching implications for our timekeeping systems. As melting ice continues to contribute to changes in the Earth’s rotation, experts warn of the need for ongoing monitoring and potential adjustments to our timekeeping methods in order to accurately reflect the Earth’s changing dynamics. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing issue.
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