Earth’s rotation is slowing at an unprecedented rate, according to a study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, with ice melt from Greenland and Antarctica shifting mass away from the poles and altering the planet’s spin. The findings, led by Swiss and Austrian researchers, reveal that a day has lengthened by 1.33 milliseconds per century over the past 20 years, a trend that could disrupt technologies reliant on precise timing.
How Ice Melt Affects Earth’s Spin
The study attributes the slowdown to melting ice sheets, which redistribute water toward the equator, slowing Earth’s rotation through a mechanism similar to a figure skater extending their arms. Researchers analyzed marine organism shells to reconstruct ancient day lengths, finding the current rate of change is the fastest in 3.6 million years. “We can slow down this trend, but we cannot really reverse it as of now,” said Zurich geoscientist Benedikt Soja, per the Wall Street Journal.
Implications for Technology and Climate
The shift, though small, could impact GPS systems, satellite navigation, and global communication networks, which depend on precise rotational measurements. A 2023 study highlighted by Tech Times found that groundwater pumping has already shifted Earth’s rotational pole 80 centimeters eastward since 1993, underscoring how human activity amplifies these effects. Continued warming could accelerate the slowdown by the century’s end.
