Bhubaneswar: New research from ETH Zurich reveals that climate change is causing significant changes in Earth's rotation and axis. The melting of polar ice and the subsequent flow of water towards the equator are redistributing the planet's mass, slowing its rotation and leading to slightly longer days.

Professor Benedikt Soja, who led the studies published in Nature Geoscience and PNAS, likens this effect to a figure skater extending their arms during a spin. As mass moves away from Earth's axis, it increases inertia and slows rotation.

Traditionally, the moon's tidal friction has been the primary factor lengthening Earth's days. However, the research indicates that if greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, climate change could become the dominant influence. "We humans have a greater impact on our planet than we realize," Soja notes.

The melting ice sheets are also shifting Earth's rotational axis. By combining physical laws with artificial intelligence, the research team modeled interactions within Earth's core, mantle, and surface to understand these movements. Their findings suggest that climate change may be affecting dynamics deep within the planet.

Lead author Mostafa Kiani Shahvandi states, "For the first time, we present a complete explanation for the causes of long-period polar motion." Their model accurately recreates pole movement since 1900 and enables future predictions.

While these changes are minimal for everyday life, they have significant implications for space navigation. Even tiny deviations in Earth's rotation can result in large errors over vast distances. Soja emphasizes the importance of accounting for these shifts for precise landings on other planets.