Earth’s Day Lengthening Hits Unprecedented Pace as Oceans Grow

A new study using benthic foraminifera fossils and a physics‑informed deep‑learning model finds Earth’s rotation is slowing at its fastest rate in millions of years due to climate-driven continental‑ocean mass redistribution. From 2000–2020, the length of a day increased by about 1.33 milliseconds per century, the most rapid slowdown since the Late Pliocene. The extra ocean mass near the equator drags on Earth’s rotation, and researchers say by the end of the 21st century climate change could affect day length even more than the Moon, with even millisecond changes impacting precise navigation.