Climate change is making our days longer
Turns out, climate change isn't just about hotter summers: it's actually making our days a tiny bit longer.
Scientists from Vienna and Zurich found that melting ice at the poles is shifting Earth's mass toward the equator, which slows down our planet's spin.
Earth's rotation has slowed since 2000
In the 21st century, Earth's rotation is lengthening at about 1.33 milliseconds per century—a rate not seen in the last 3.6 million years.
Most of this slowdown comes from recent ice melt in Greenland and Antarctica, thanks to global warming.
Emissions could further lengthen our days
By the end of this century (around 2100), climate change is expected to have more influence on day length than the Moon.
It might sound minor, but even small changes like this can mess with GPS, satellites, and super-precise clocks, stuff we all rely on every day.