The reason for the melting of the polar ice caps is human activity. According to a report by CNN, a new study has revealed that changes in the Earth’s rotation and time are happening gradually due to the melting of the polar ice caps, which is affected by events on Earth and the melting of metals within it.
The study suggests that as the Earth’s rotation changes, adjustments may need to be made to the time on a global scale. This seemingly minor change could have a significant impact on our system over time.
The study predicts that the effects of the polar ice caps melting will slow down the Earth’s rotation, causing a one-second decrease in time from 2026 to 2029.
Professor Duncan Agnew of the University of California, San Diego, who was involved in the research, explained that the study’s focus on global timekeeping events is related to the effects of global warming on our planet.
Before 1955, a second was defined as the time it takes for the Earth to complete one rotation around its axis. However, the atomic clock, which is incredibly accurate, has since become the standard for timekeeping.
Since the 1960s, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) has been used to organize time zones globally. While UTC is based on atomic clocks, it has adapted to changes in the speed of the Earth’s movement.
Despite the constant changes in the speed of the Earth’s rotation, adjustments are made slowly over time, meaning that a one-second decrease will eventually need to be implemented and integrated into the timekeeping system.
The effects of the melting polar ice caps, which are causing a shift in the Earth’s rotation, have resulted in a slowing down of its movement, as stated by Duncan Agnew. He emphasized that the impact of the melting ice on the Earth’s rotation is contributing to the rise in ocean levels and ultimately slowing down the Earth’s rotation further.