Earth’s Rotation Is Slowing Faster Than Before — What Does It Mean?

Earth still gives us what feels like a steady 24-hour day, but that rhythm is not as fixed as daily life makes it seem. Scientists can measure tiny changes in the planet’s spin, and new research suggests one modern influence is now slowing Earth’s rotation at a rate that stands out across millions of years.

The key finding is not that tomorrow will suddenly feel longer. Researchers from the University of Vienna and ETH Zurich report that climate-driven sea-level rise is currently lengthening Earth’s day by about 1.33 milliseconds per century, a rate they say is unprecedented over the past 3.6 million years. The study was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.