Climate Change Is Slowing Earth's Rotation, and the Fallout Hits Our Devices

Key Points:

• Earth's rotation is slowing at an unprecedented rate due to climate change, specifically the redistribution of water from melting ice sheets and rising sea levels, which increases the planet’s moment of inertia and lengthens the day.
• Researchers analyzed fossilized marine organisms to reconstruct Earth's rotation over 3.6 million years, finding that the current rate of slowdown is faster than any natural deglaciation period in that time frame.
• Traditionally, the Moon's tidal forces have been the main cause of Earth's rotational deceleration, but climate-driven effects are accelerating and could surpass lunar influence by the end of the 21st century.
• This irregular and accelerating slowdown complicates the management of leap seconds used to synchronize atomic clocks with Earth's rotation, posing challenges for satellite navigation and space operations that depend on precise timing.
• The findings highlight that human-induced climate change is now a dominant factor affecting Earth's rotation and polar motion, marking a significant shift from natural geological and orbital influences.