The Earth has established the fastest rotation in its history.
Scientists were shocked to find that the Earth set a record by completing the fastest spin in history since the records began to be written. June 29 was the shortest day on our planet since the 1960s, since the recordings began
According to the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS), the planet was 1.59 milliseconds faster than the usual 24-hour turn.
Although a few years ago this institution included leap seconds to compensate for the slow rotation (last time in 2016), analysts have now determined that the turnaround has accelerated. In fact, you could start with a 50-year period with shorter days.
Climate change, one of the consequences.
According to some data provided by the magazine ‘Forbes’, in 2020 the 28 shortest days in history since 1960 were recorded. However, during the months of June and July 2022 two new records were presented, being that of 29 June the most short ever recorded, followed by last Tuesday, July 26, which was 1.50 milliseconds faster than the established 24 hours.
Why it happens
The reason for this acceleration in the Earth’s rotation process has not yet been determined with certainty, but there are some theories that have been formulated since these phenomena are beginning to manifest.
Melting glaciers, for example, could mean there is less weight at the poles and therefore an easier time for the globe to rotate.
Melting glaciers, for example, could mean there is less weight at the poles and therefore an easier time for the globe to rotate. Photo: EFE
Similarly, “Business Insider” said this is also due to the Chandler faltersa small deviation in the planet’s axis of rotation.
As presented by the creators of the hypothesis, doctors Leonid Zotov, Christian Bizouard and Nikolay Sidorenkov, this week at the Society of Geosciences of Asia and Oceania, this phenomenon is similar to the shaking of a rope when it starts to gain momentum or slows down.
A boy in front of a sculpture of the Earth.
“The normal amplitude of the Chandler oscillation is about three or four meters on the surface of the Earth … but from 2017 to 2020 it disappeared,” Dr. Zotov told timeanddate.com.
Second negative?
This variation in the planet’s rotation system led to the consideration of introducing the first second additional negative. This means that our clocks would have to skip a second to reach civil time, which is based on the stable records of atomic clocks tuned to solar time.
Some analysts say this would be detrimental to IT services, as the time system would be significantly reconfigured.
Source: Clarin
