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Climate Change Impact Earth Rotation Research

By analysing fossil benthic foraminifera—whose shells preserve chemical signatures that reveal past sea-level fluctuations—scientists determined that the present increase in day length, about 1.33 milliseconds per century, stands out across the past 3.6 million years. Credit: ETH Zurich.

Climate Change Is Slowly Lengthening Earth's Days, Scientists Reveal

Climate Change is gradually extending the length of our days, as rising sea levels slow the rotation of the Earth. Researchers from the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich report that the current increase in day length—around 1.33 milliseconds per century—is unlike anything observed during the past 3.6 million years. To trace these ancient variations, the team analyzed fossil remains of microscopic marine organisms known as benthic foraminifera.

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Why Earth's Day Length Is Not Fixed

A perfectly fixed 24-hour day has never been guaranteed. The duration of Earth's day can shift due to the gravitational influence of the Moon as well as a range of geophysical processes operating within the planet's interior, across its surface and throughout the atmosphere.

Modern climate change is also influencing the length of Earth's day. Earlier research revealed that between 2000 and 2020, the duration of a day increased at a rate equivalent to about 1.33 milliseconds per century. This shift is largely driven by climate-related factors, particularly the redistribution of mass between continents and oceans as polar ice sheets and mountain glaciers continue to melt.

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New Stud Compares Modern Changes With 3.6 Million Years of Climate Data

In a recent study published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Mostafa Kiani Shahvandi from the University of Vienna and Bendikt Soja of ETH Zurich demonstrate that the present acceleration in day length has no parallel during the past 3.6 million years.

"In our earlier research, we demonstrated that the accelerated melting of polar ice sheets and mountain glaciers during the 21st century is driving sea-level rise. This process slows the Earth's rotation and consequently lengthens the duration of a day—much like a figure skater who spins more slowly after extending their arms and faster when drawing them close to the body," explained Mostafa Kiani Shahvandi from the Department of Meteorology and Geophysics at the University of Vienna.

"When remained uncertain, however, was whether earlier periods existed when climate-driven change extended the length of the day at a comparable rate."

Fossil Clues From Ancient Marine Organisms

To address this question, The researchers examined fossilized remains of microscopic marine organisms known as benthic foraminifera.

"By analyzing the chemical composition preserved within these foraminifera fossils, we can determine past fluctuations in sea level and then mathematically calculate the associated changes in day length," explained lead author Kiani Shahvandi from the University of Vienna.

Scientists Used Advanced Deep-Learning Climate Models

To strengthen their findings, the research team applied a probabilistic deep-learning algorithm known as a physics-informed diffusion model.

"This model incorporates the physical mechanisms behind sea-level change while remaining resilient to the considerable uncertainties that often accompany palaeoclimate data," the climate scientist and geophysicist explained.

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Modern Climate Change Appears Unmatched in the Geological Record

Throughout the Quaternary period, spanning roughly 2.6 million years, the repeated expansion and melting of massive continental ice sheets triggered notable variations in day length through shifts in global sea levels.

Yet when these long-term patterns are compared with modern measurements, the current rise in day length stands out sharply against the climate record of the past 3.6 million years.

"Only once—around two million years ago—did the rate of change come close to what we observe today. At no other time has the planet's 'figure skater' extended her arm and raised sea levels as rapidly as between 2000 and 2020," said Mostafa Kiani Shahvandi of the University of Vienna.

Climate Change Could Affect Earth's Rotation More Than the Moon

"This rapid extension in the length of the day suggests that the pace of modern climate change has been unmatched since at least the late Pliocene, roughly 3.6 million yeas ago. The present acceleration in day length can therefore be largely linked to human influence," said Benedikt Soja, Professor of Space Geodesy at ETH Zurich.

Why Even Milliseconds Matter

Although the changes appear small, the consequences can still be important for modern technology.

By the close of the 21st century, climate change expected to influence the duration of Earth's day even more strongly than the Moon.

Implications include:

  • Challenges for precise space navigation
  • Increased difficulty in accurate satellite positioning
  • Greater complexity in tracking Earth's rotation

Even shifts of a few milliseconds can create challenges in scientific fields where extremely precise measurements are essential.

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