"Global Warming's Impact on Timekeeping: The Delayed 'Drop Second'"
TL;DR
Geophysicists suggest that due to the Earth's increasing rotational speed caused by factors such as melting polar ice and fluctuations in the planet's magnetic field, a negative leap second may need to be added to the Coordinated Universal Time around 2029. This trend, highlighted in a study published in Nature, indicates a departure from the regular addition of leap seconds to counteract Earth's rotation since 1972. The potential need for a negative leap second raises concerns about the synchronization of interconnected computer systems in a computer-reliant world, with implications for global timekeeping and potential disruptions.
Topics:sciencescience-and-environment#earths-rotation#geophysics#global-climate-change#leap-second#science-and-environment#timekeeping
- Global climate change linked to delay in unveiling of negative leap second Fox Weather
- Melting polar ice is changing the Earth's rotation and affecting how we measure time: Study ABC News
- Climate change could affect timekeeping, study says BBC.com
- Human activities are changing Earth's spin and how we keep time Business Insider
- Global Warming Will Delay The 'Drop Second,' Say Scientists Forbes
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