Earth Is Spinning Faster and Days Are Getting Shorter, for Now (nytimes.com)
- Reference: 0178354838
- News link: https://news.slashdot.org/story/25/07/11/1741218/earth-is-spinning-faster-and-days-are-getting-shorter-for-now
- Source link: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/science/earth-speeding-up-summer-days-shorter.html
> This week has seen [1]the shortest days of the year so far . According to data from the U.S. Naval Observatory and the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service, Tuesday's rotation was about 1.34 milliseconds less than 24 hours. More quick spins are expected this week, later this month and in early August, according to predictions from the website Time and Date.
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> This isn't completely out of the ordinary: Our world's spins have been faster than usual lately. The average day has mostly shortened over the past decade, and within the past five years or so, the full rotation has clocked in at a hair less than 24 hours more often than not. Factors driving the change include movements at Earth's core, atmospheric changes and the moon's position.
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> But long-term trends do not suggest that the days will shorten in perpetuity. In fact, it is just the opposite. For many millenniums, the days have been growing longer. A Tyrannosaurus rex that lived 70 million years ago would have experienced an average daily rotation of about 23 1/2 hours, studies have found.
[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/11/science/earth-speeding-up-summer-days-shorter.html
wonder if ground water pumping had anything 2 do w (Score:1)
[1]https://www.scientificamerican... [scientificamerican.com]
[1] https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/rampant-groundwater-pumping-has-changed-the-tilt-of-earths-axis/
Re: wonder if ground water pumping had anything 2 (Score:1)
That would be moving mass outward from the axis. That would cause a slowdown not a speed up.
So would the icecaps melting and moving mass outward, btw.
Mass transfer to the polar regions on or near the surface would also cause a speed up. But my guess is all climate-related mass transfers on or near the surface pale in comparison to processes near the core.
Re: (Score:2)
Groundwater depletion doesn't slow the Earth's rotation, it increases it. When water is pumped from high altitudes and ends up in the ocean, it speeds up the rotation. But a bigger factor is when groundwater is pumped from tropical areas (India is the biggest pumper), and then spreads out over the global ocean, speeding up the rotation even more.
Melting mountain glaciers speed up the Earth's rotation, but melting polar glaciers slow it.
Thermal expansion of the oceans slows the Earth's rotation.
But the bigge
Re: wonder if ground water pumping had anything 2 (Score:2)
Is this feeble attempt to gesture at Thermodynamics predictive success as doomed to frustration as the prediction that the moon should be falling into the Earth but actually it's moving away from the Earth? How does Thermodynamics predict that mere movements on a gravitaional objects can contradict the often-taught principle that a body rotating another will eventually fall into it?
Re: (Score:2)
> sounds suspiciously like people in the government doing science work and that's verboten. turn those nerds into ICE deputies.
"Sir, we need to know how fast the earth spins so we can aim our missiles."
Very well then. Carry on, ensign.
It just feels that way (Score:2)
It just feels like the days are getting shorter because they are getting old. It happens to all of us.
It's Biden's fault (Score:2)
Don't worry, The Trump-et fart will fix it on day two, right after he ends the Russia-Ukraine war on day one.
I guess his excuse can be that day one wasn't quite long enough.
Headline soon (Score:2)
T-Rex complained about there not being enough hours in a day to do everything. Wished days were about 1/2 hour longer!!!
impressive (Score:2)
A news story about earth that didn't blame "climate change"
DOGE will take credit in (Score:1)
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