Science confirms it: days on Earth are getting longer

A new study has found that the length of Earth’s days is increasing. The main drivers behind this phenomenon are climate change and the resulting rise in sea levels, both of which are slowing the rotation of our planet.

According to researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, who led the project, the length of the day is increasing by an average of 1.33 milliseconds per century. This trend has accelerated sharply since 2000. During the 20th century, the increase ranged from 0.3 to 1.0 milliseconds per century, but it has now reached a level not seen in the last 3.6 million years.

Although we tend to assume that a day lasts exactly 24 hours, the reality is that its length varies due to factors such as the Moon’s gravitational pull and atmospheric conditions. However, scientists warn that if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current pace, climate change could have a greater impact on the length of our days by the end of this century than the Moon’s gravity itself. The study’s projections suggest that by 2100, the increase could reach 2.62 milliseconds per century.

Earth is slowing down

The physical reason behind this phenomenon lies in the melting of glaciers and polar ice, which is causing Earth to become slightly more “spread out.” As massive ice sheets in places like Greenland and Antarctica melt, the enormous volume of water that was once concentrated near the poles is redistributed toward the equator, the planet’s midsection.

Researchers compare this process to the movement of a figure skater. When a skater spins with their arms pulled in close to the body, with mass concentrated near the center, they rotate very quickly. But when they extend their arms outward, their spin slows dramatically. That is essentially what is happening to Earth as meltwater shifts away from the poles and toward the equator.

To reach this conclusion, the research team analyzed the composition of ancient fossils, records of eclipses from the past 3,000 years, and satellite data to trace how sea levels have changed over millions of years. They found that the length of the day has always varied depending on whether ice was forming or melting, as well as because of friction between Earth’s core and mantle, but never at the rate we are seeing today.

The real concern is how quickly this change has unfolded over the last two decades, with factors such as large-scale groundwater extraction also beginning to worsen the process. And while we are talking about mere milliseconds, which may not seem especially alarming at first glance, researchers warn that even such tiny shifts can create serious technical problems in fields that depend on extreme precision, including GPS systems, telecommunications networks, and space navigation.

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.