Antarctica’s Melting Ice Accelerates Earth’s Rotation, Scientists Warn
The melting of ice sheets in Antarctica adn Greenland is not only contributing to sea-level rise but also subtly altering the Earth’s rotation speed and axis, according to new research. This phenomenon, driven by the redistribution of mass as ice melts and water moves towards the equator, could have significant long-term implications for the planet’s rotational dynamics.
A study led by beedikt Soja, deputy professor at the Swiss Institute of Technology in Zurich, highlights how climate change is impacting the earth’s rotation. the displacement of mass from the poles towards the equator due to melting ice is causing the planet to spin faster. This effect, while currently minor, could become more pronounced if global warming trends continue unabated.
Soja suggests that in a pessimistic scenario,where greenhouse gas emissions remain high,the influence of climate change on Earth’s rotation could eventually surpass that of the moon,which has historically been the primary driver of the planet’s rotational speed over billions of years.
While the current changes are within what might be considered natural variability, the long-term predictions introduce an element of uncertainty.Scientists are monitoring these shifts to better understand their potential consequences.
“I think (the fastest rotation) is still within reasonable limits, so it could be a natural variability,” Soja commented. “Maybe in a few years,we can see a different situation again and,in the long term,that the planet slows down again. That is my intuition, but you never know.”
