Vienna and ETH Zurich find climate change lengthens Earth's days
Technology
It turns out climate change is not just about hotter summers; it is actually making our days a tiny bit longer.
Scientists from the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich found that as glaciers and polar ice sheets melt, their mass moves into the oceans, subtly slowing down how fast Earth spins.
Days lengthen 1.33 milliseconds per century
The study says days are lengthening by about 1.33 milliseconds per century, faster than anything seen in the last 3.6 million years.
Rapid ice melt between 2000 and 2020 even made Earth bulge more at the equator.
This shift could mess with satellite navigation and timekeeping systems.