We know more and more consequences of climate change. The days when we thought it was just a matter of heat and drought are long gone. The effects of global warming and other related events are manifesting themselves on many levels. Some of them are as surprising as change in the rotation of the Earth.
This is the conclusion reached by climate scientists from a recently published study. ETH Zurich. Thanks to artificial intelligence, These researchers have created the most complete model to date of the changes produced on the rotation axis by both natural and human-induced movements of the Earth.
Of course, these are the ones that relate to changing of the climateBut how is it possible that climate change is altering the Earth’s rotation? And just as importantly, what consequences will this have for our planet?
Melting ice slows down the Earth’s rotation
Rising global temperatures due to climate change have caused the polar caps to melt and glaciers to disappear in many parts of the planet. Logically, the areas most affected are the Earth’s poles, where there is more ice. For example, many polar caps in Greenland and Antarctica melt, releasing water into the oceans, especially in territories near the equator.
This, the authors of the study explained in their statement, creates an effect similar to that of a figure skater when she spins and opens her arms. As long as they are attached to the body, the center of which is the axis of rotation, it rotates very quickly. On the other hand, when she spreads her arms, little by little the speed is slowing downbecause it moves a certain mass away from the axis of rotation.
All that liquid water coming out of the poles and heading toward the center has the same effect as a skater’s arms. It’s mass offset from the Earth’s axis of rotation, which just happens to cross the poles. That’s why the Earth rotates more slowly. Since the length of the days matches the time it takes the Earth to rotate, that will lead to longer days. According to the study’s authors, given the current effects of climate change, that will only mean longer a few millisecondsBut everything is cumulative.
Other influencing factors besides climate change
The phenomenon that is most often associated with the impact on the rotation of the Earth is the phenomenon tides. They are formed mainly due to the gravitational attraction that occurs between Moon and EarthAt every moment, the column of water facing the Moon experiences this attraction, rising slightly.
On the other hand, the Earth’s own internal movements also affect its axis of rotation. We must not forget that right at the center of our planet is a core of molten metal that moves thanks to heat flows. The mantle also experiences changes and shifts of this viscous material due to changes in pressure. This also changes the axis of rotation. In fact, this is something that was already known. Until now, most of the effects of climate change were unknown, and above all, how they interact with the tides and internal movements.
For this reason, these scientists used artificial intelligence to create models that reflect these unknown effects on the Earth’s rotation axis. The first analyses conducted since 1900give results that agree with what was observed first in astronomical observations and then with space satellites. If what has already happened matches, predictions of the future should also not fail.
The Earth’s rotation is not only slowing down
These scientists also noted that climate change, like the other phenomena mentioned, changes the points at which axis of rotation coincides with the surface of the Earth.
This movement will increase as climate change continues to progress. Neither this nor the lengthening of the day by a few thousandths of a second may seem trivial to us. But these are changes we must be able to predict, since they are necessary for such a precise activity as trace the trajectory of a spacecraft. Who was going to tell us that climate change would somehow alter plans to send humans to Mars? The implications are becoming increasingly surprising.
Source: Hiper Textual
