Because the polar ice caps are melting, the Earth is rotating more slowly on its axis. This is evident from the study. Which was published in the scientific journal PeopleThe researchers calculated that the melting means that each century, a day lasts 1.33 milliseconds longer. That could get longer if global warming continues.

A day is supposed to last 24 hours, or 86,400 seconds. The world clock is based on this, but very precise measurements using atomic clocks since the 1970s show very small time differences.

Digital systems and computers are linked to these atomic clocks. To correct time differences, a second is sometimes added, the so-called “leap second.” This has happened 27 times since 1972.

Computers and digital systems are not designed for this purpose, so leap seconds can cause minor disturbances. Space travel can also be affected because exact times are very important there, for example when spaceships land.

The polar caps have been melting faster since 2000 because of global warming. As the ice caps of Greenland and Antarctica melt, more meltwater collects around the equator. This makes the Earth less round, as it was, and spin less quickly on its axis. When the Earth spins more slowly, the days last a little longer.

Earth scientist Rosa de Boer explains in number Radio 1 News She thinks of a merry-go-round on the playground: “If you sit on a merry-go-round as a kid and spin around, it goes fast. But if you let yourself hang around for a while, the fun—the merry-go-round goes slower, and that’s exactly what happens on Earth.”

The length of the day has been determined for billions of years by the position of the Moon. According to researchers, melting polar ice caps may increasingly affect the length of the day.