Earth’s Rotation Speeds Up Unexpectedly, Shortest Day in History Could Occur Within Weeks

Reported by Kokcha News Agency:
Earth’s rotation speed has been increasing unexpectedly, and scientists warn that the shortest day in history could occur within weeks. According to astrophysicist Graham Jones from the University of London, Earth could experience its shortest day this summer on one of three dates: July 9, July 22, or August 5. On these days, the day could be shortened by 1.30, 1.38, or 1.51 milliseconds, respectively.

Researchers emphasize that even these millisecond changes could have significant effects on various systems, including GPS, satellite navigation, and how we measure time.

“No One Knows the Reason”
Scientists have observed that Earth has been spinning faster than usual since 2020, but the exact cause of this acceleration remains unknown.

Leonid Zotov, a scientist from Moscow State University, stated, “No one expected this, and the reason for the acceleration cannot be explained.”

Why Does Earth’s Rotation Speed Change?
Earth’s rotation speed is not constant and can be influenced by various natural phenomena, including earthquakes, ocean currents, melting glaciers, movements in the molten layers of the core, and events like El Niño. These small changes are measured using highly precise atomic clocks.

Records Are Being Broken
The shortest day recorded so far was on July 5, 2024, when Earth completed its rotation 1.66 milliseconds faster than the standard 24 hours. Since 2020, several records have been broken:

• July 19, 2020: 1.47 milliseconds shorter
• July 9, 2021: 1.47 milliseconds shorter
• June 30, 2022: 1.59 milliseconds shorter

After a slowdown in 2023, Earth’s rotation speed picked up again in 2024, leading to consecutive records for the shortest days.

What Are the Potential Impacts?
Even millisecond changes in day length can have significant consequences. GPS systems, phone networks, and financial transactions rely on extremely precise timing.

Experts suggest that if Earth continues to speed up, it may become necessary to introduce a “negative leap second” to adjust time calculations. Such a correction has never been implemented before.