Climate Change Causing Earth to Spin Slowly

Context

The melting of polar ice caps due to climate change is causing the Earth to spin more slowly, resulting in longer days at an unprecedented rate.

• Polar Shifts: A 2021 study found that melting glaciers worldwide have redistributed enough water to cause the North and South Poles to move eastward since the mid-1990s.
• Lengthening Days: From 1900 to the present, climate change has extended days by about 0.8 milliseconds.
• Future Projections: Under a high emissions scenario, climate change alone could extend days by 2.2 milliseconds by 2100.
• Moon’s Influence: Currently, the Moon’s gravitational pull causes a deceleration of 2.40 milliseconds per century through tidal friction.

Impact of Slowing Down Earth’s Rotation Speed

• Navigation Systems: The accuracy of navigation systems and calculations for satellite launches could be affected.
• Temperature Variations: Longer days and nights mean the Earth’s surface will heat up more during daylight hours and cool down more during the night.
• Extreme Weather: Slower rotation would disrupt the distribution of heat and energy around the planet, potentially leading to more intense storms, heatwaves, and other extreme weather phenomena.

Factors Affecting Earth’s Rotational Speed

• Tidal Pull of the Moon: The Moon’s gravitational influence slows Earth’s rotation through tidal friction.
• Planetary Formation: The rapidity of a planet’s initial formation impacts its rotational speed, with a faster collapse conserving more angular momentum.
• Meteorite Impacts: Large impacts can alter rotational speed.
• Movements in the Inner Molten Core: Seismic activity and movements in the Earth’s core can influence rotational speed.
• Atmospheric Conditions: Wind speed and shifting atmospheric gases can cause variations.
• Glacial Melt: The melting of glaciers and polar ice caps redistributes mass, impacting rotational speed.