Global warming extends Earth's day, disrupting vital tech systems

Scientists from Switzerland have examined the length of the day in the context of global warming. According to their research, the Earth's rising temperature contributes to the day's lengthening. While the difference is currently small, the study's conclusion is alarming.

Global warming is not just about wildfires or melting glaciers. Scientists worldwide continue to study the impact of the climate crisis on various aspects of life. Their mission is to determine the real effects of the increased temperature on the Earth. They believe humanity does not fully comprehend the seriousness of the situation.

Scientists at ETH Zurich in Switzerland examined the impact of the climate crisis on the length of the day. They believe the increased temperature lengthens the day, which can have disastrous consequences for the functionality of GPS systems, the internet, and banking. All of these areas rely on precise time measurement. The change is a few milliseconds, but in financial transfers, this could mean sending money the next day.

"The Guardian" explains: "The length of the day on Earth has been steadily increasing over geological time due to the gravitational drag of the Moon on the planet's oceans and landmasses. However, the melting of the ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica caused by human-induced global warming transfers the water stored at high latitudes to the world's oceans, leading to more water in seas closer to the equator. This causes the Earth to become flatter—or more oblate—which slows the planet's rotation and further lengthens the day. The global impact of humanity was also recently shown by studies that demonstrated that the redistribution of water has caused a shift in the Earth's rotational axis—the North and South Poles. Other research has shown that carbon emissions caused by humanity are shrinking the stratosphere."

Professor Benedikt Soja from ETH Zurich in Switzerland said in an interview with "The Guardian": "We can see our impact as humans on the entire Earth system, not just locally, like the temperature increase, but fundamentally changing how it moves in space and rotates. Due to our carbon emissions, we achieved this in just 100 or 200 years, whereas the governing processes took billions of years. That is striking. All the data centers that run the internet, communication, and financial transactions rely on precise time measurement. We also need precise time knowledge for navigation, especially for satellites and spacecraft."

The scientists' research was published in "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA." They used observations and computer simulations to study the impact of melting ice on the length of the day. The researchers stated: "The current rate is probably higher than at any time in the last few thousand years. It is predicted to remain at about 1.0 ms/century for the next few decades, even if greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced."

Dr. Santiago Belda from the University of Alicante in Spain, who was not part of the research team, commented in an interview with "The Guardian": "This study is a major step forward because it confirms that the alarming loss of ice experienced by Greenland and Antarctica has a direct impact on the length of the day, causing it to lengthen. This change in the length of the day has critical implications for how we measure time and GPS and other technologies that govern our modern lives."