Tidal Friction

Melting ice caps slow Earth’s spin, lengthening days at ‘unprecedented’ rate

I find it intriguing to contemplate how the melting ice caps are influencing Earth’s spin and, consequently, the length of our days. The fact that climate change has already extended our days by about 0.8 milliseconds since 1900 is astonishing. This subtle change might not seem significant at first glance, but when you think about the potential future scenario of days being 2.2 milliseconds longer by 2100 under high emissions, it certainly makes you pause and reflect.

As we delve deeper into the science behind this phenomenon, it becomes evident that it’s not just the melting ice caps that are at play here.… Continue reading