"Earth’s Accelerating Spin to Trigger Historic Shortest Day Amid Sudden Rotation Surge—Scientists Warn"

Earth’s Rotation Speeds Up, Threatening a Record Short Day

Scientists warn Earth’s spin is accelerating unexpectedly, potentially shaving milliseconds off time in summer 2024. Astrophysicist Graham Jones (University of London) predicts three key dates—July 9, July 22, or August 5—when days could shorten by 1.30 to 1.51 milliseconds. Though imperceptible to humans, these shifts could disrupt satellites, GPS, and timekeeping systems worldwide.

Leonid Zotov of Moscow State University notes the cause remains unclear, marking a reversal from Earth’s long-term slowdown caused by the moon’s gravitational pull. Since 2020, however, the planet’s rotation has mysteriously sped up. Historically, a solar day spans 86,400 seconds (24 hours), but natural forces—earthquakes, ocean currents, melting glaciers, and atmospheric changes—cause tiny fluctuations.

Caption: The fastest day recorded, July 5, 2024, saw Earth spin 1.66 milliseconds faster than usual.

Earth’s molten core, composed of swirling liquid metal, influences its spin. Movements in this core, along with shifts in ocean currents and high-altitude winds, can alter rotation speed, akin to a skater spinning faster by pulling in their arms. Atomic clocks, which track "Length of Day" (LOD) to the millisecond, confirm these anomalies.

Since 2020, shortest-day records have repeatedly broken:

• 2020: July 19 (-1.47 ms)
• 2021: July 9 (-1.47 ms)
• 2022: June 30 (-1.59 ms)
• 2024: Multiple days, including July 5 (-1.66 ms)

While models account for natural fluctuations, researchers remain puzzled by 2024’s acceleration.

Caption: Atomic clocks measure Earth’s rotation precision, crucial for global tech systems.

Even minuscule time shifts pose risks. GPS, communication networks, and financial markets rely on split-second accuracy. To synchronize with Earth’s rotation, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) occasionally adds a leap second. However, sustained acceleration might necessitate a negative leap second—a first in history.

Long term, Earth’s days have lengthened over billions of years due to the moon’s drag. Current acceleration contradicts this trend, suggesting unknown dynamics in Earth’s core or climate systems. “Eventually, Earth will slow again,” Zotov says, “[But] for now, we’re spinning faster.”

Key Implications:

• Tech systems may face glitches from timekeeping mismatches.
• Negative leap seconds could complicate software reliant on precise timing.
• Unresolved questions linger about Earth’s internal and environmental interactions.

While scientists scramble for answers, the planet’s unpredictable spin underscores how much we still learn about our dynamic world.