Scientists are considering doing something unprecedented due to Earth’s increasing rotation speed. The past few days have been unusually short, with July 9 and July 22 experiencing brief time gaps of about 1.3 and 1.4 milliseconds. August 5 is expected to be even shorter, losing roughly 1.5 milliseconds.
The trend began in 2020, resulting in slightly shorter days than those seen over the last 50 years. This change is attributed to Earth’s gravitational field and the moon’s position relative to the planet. The increased rotation speed may continue or reverse due to climate change-induced changes in water distribution.
Currently, global timekeepers add a “leap second” to clocks when necessary, but technology has raised concerns about synchronizing precise instrumentation and computers. Some scientists question whether a negative leap second – removing a second from UTC instead of adding one – is needed.
A recent study suggests that the probability of a negative leap second within the next decade is around 30%. However, climate change might slow down Earth’s rotation in the long term. Experts are divided on introducing a new type of leap second, with concerns about its potential impact on computer systems and networks.
Source: https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/earth-is-starting-to-spin-faster-and-scientists-are-considering-doing-something-unprecedented