Climate Change Could Alter Time Measurement
World
A groundbreaking study suggests that human-driven climate change, particularly the melting of polar ice, has subtly impacted the Earth's rotation, potentially leading to significant changes in how we measure time.
Published in the prestigious journal Nature, the study indicates that the ongoing disappearance of polar ice has resulted in a slight deceleration of the Earth's rotation. Despite this slowdown, the planet still spins marginally faster than it did previously.
For the first time in history, experts suggest that world timekeepers may need to consider subtracting a second from our clocks to ensure alignment with universal time and the Earth's rotation. This adjustment, referred to as a "negative leap second," could become necessary around 2029, as per the study.
Lead author Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, explains that the melting ice in Greenland and Antarctica has redistributed the Earth's mass. This redistribution has led to a reduction in the rotational speed due to less solid ice at the poles and increased mass concentration around the equator.
As scientists continue to unravel the intricate mechanisms shaping our planet, the study serves as a stark reminder of the far-reaching consequences of human activities on Earth's fundamental processes.
For the first time in history, experts suggest that world timekeepers may need to consider subtracting a second from our clocks to ensure alignment with universal time and the Earth's rotation. This adjustment, referred to as a "negative leap second," could become necessary around 2029, as per the study.
Lead author Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, explains that the melting ice in Greenland and Antarctica has redistributed the Earth's mass. This redistribution has led to a reduction in the rotational speed due to less solid ice at the poles and increased mass concentration around the equator.
As scientists continue to unravel the intricate mechanisms shaping our planet, the study serves as a stark reminder of the far-reaching consequences of human activities on Earth's fundamental processes.
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