Scientists warn climate change is causing unprecedented slowdown in Earth's rotation

Scientists are sounding the alarm that climate change is affecting Earth's rotation in an unprecedented manner, with the current slowdown being the most significant in 3.6 million years. According to a new study by researchers from the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich, the accelerated melting of glaciers and polar ice caps is causing the planet to spin increasingly slower.

While the effect is minuscule on a human scale, days are lengthening by approximately 1.33 milliseconds per century, scientists emphasize the immense forces at play. Researchers explain that water from melting ice at the poles is redistributed to oceans and towards the equator. This massive transfer of weight alters the planet's rotation, similar to how a figure skater slows down by extending their arms during a spin.

"Such a change in the length of a day requires a huge redistribution of mass: about 1,000 gigatons moved from the poles to the oceans," explained Professor Benedikt Soja, one of the study's authors. To understand past changes in Earth's rotation, researchers analyzed microscopic marine fossils called benthic foraminifera, whose shells preserve information about sea-level changes over millions of years. Using an AI algorithm, the team reconstructed Earth's rotational evolution back 3.6 million years, concluding that the current rate of deceleration is unparalleled.

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Such a change in the length of a day requires a huge redistribution of mass: about 1,000 gigatons moved from the poles to the oceans

Scientists warn that if carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuels continue at high levels, climate change could influence Earth's rotation more than the Moon's gravitational pull by the end of the century. Although the effect appears minor, researchers suggest it could have significant consequences for ultra-precise timekeeping systems, such as GPS and space navigation.

"The most important conclusion is that human influence on the Earth system has become so profound that we are even altering the way our planet rotates," stated Benedikt Soja. The study highlights the far-reaching impacts of human-induced climate change, extending even to the fundamental mechanics of our planet.

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The most important conclusion is that human influence on the Earth system has become so profound that we are even altering the way our planet rotates