(CNN) — Scientists have recently discovered that the Earth’s rotation is accelerating, leading to the need to eliminate a leap second from global timekeeping for the first time in history. This phenomenon is attributed to the melting of polar ice, which is causing changes in the planet’s rotation and altering time itself.
This change in the Earth’s rotation is impacting the accuracy of timekeeping, as the discrepancy between Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) based on atomic clocks and the planet’s actual rotation requires the occasional addition or subtraction of leap seconds. However, the recent acceleration of the Earth’s rotation means that a leap second will need to be subtracted instead of added, posing unprecedented challenges for global time synchronization.
The study, published in the journal Nature, suggests that the accelerating rotation is influenced by both the melting of polar ice and processes in the Earth’s core. While the melting of ice exerts a slowing influence on the planet’s rotation, changes in the Earth’s core, located more than 2,800 kilometers below the surface, remain unpredictable. The combination of these factors has led to the need to eliminate a leap second in the near future.
According to Duncan Agnew, a professor of geophysics at the University of California, San Diego and co-author of the study, the impact of melting polar ice on the Earth’s rotation is unprecedented. As ice melts into the ocean, it shifts water towards the equator, further slowing the planet’s rotation in a similar manner to a figure skater lowering their arms during a spin.
While the potential consequences of removing a leap second may seem inconsequential to most, it poses challenges for highly precise computer systems that require accuracy to a thousandth of a second. Reprogramming these systems to account for the elimination of a leap second introduces the possibility of errors, highlighting the importance of understanding and adapting to the Earth’s changing rotation.
The findings of this study serve as a reminder of the profound impact of human activities on the planet, as the melting of polar ice and alterations in the Earth’s core contribute to significant changes in global timekeeping. As scientists continue to monitor these changes, the need for accurate time synchronization becomes increasingly essential in a world where every second counts.