2029: Time Freeze Possible? Melting Polar Ice Slows Earth’s Rotation, Scientists Warn

In an unprecedented scenario, the gradual warming of our planet and the subsequent melting of its polar ice caps are having an unexpected effect: they’re decelerating Earth’s rotation, a phenomenon that could potentially impact how we measure time.

A recent study released on Wednesday, March 27, by Duncan Agnew, a geophysicist from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, reveals that the ongoing climate-induced melting of polar ice is subtly slowing Earth’s spin.

Agnew explains that the rapid ice melt redistributes Earth’s mass primarily towards the equator as the solid ice from poles melts into liquid, shifting towards the equator. This redistribution affects Earth’s angular velocity due to the altered mass distribution, resulting in less ice at the poles and more mass gathering around the equator.

Thomas Herring, a geophysics professor at MIT not involved with the study, elaborated to NBC News, “When the ice melts from areas like Antarctica and Greenland, this solid water turns into liquid, relocating this mass to different parts of the planet, primarily towards the equator.”

This study highlights the extensive impact human activity has on the planet, including altering the speed of its rotation. Agnew found it remarkable that human actions could lead to measurable changes in Earth’s rotational speed, calling the situation unprecedented.

One immediate concern arising from this slowdown is its effect on how time is measured. Traditionally, leap years and leap seconds are added to adjust for discrepancies in Earth’s rotation speed and the time it takes to complete one rotation. However, Agnew proposes the introduction of a “negative” leap second in 2029, which would mean subtracting a second for the first time in history, to compensate for the quicker spinning of Earth.

This adjustment, however, could lead to significant issues with the technology many rely on, such as smartphones and computers, due to the potential for timing disruptions. Agnew’s research suggests that by 2029, the discrepancy between atomic time (UTC) and solar time will necessitate this negative leap second, posing challenges for global timekeeping and possibly requiring changes to be implemented sooner than anticipated.

Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the world’s standard for precise timekeeping based on atomic clocks, might not align with the actual solar time, which is based on Earth’s rotation. If Earth’s rotation wasn’t being slowed by melting ice, Agnew notes, the need for a negative leap second could come even sooner, by 2026.