New research suggests that the rotation of Earth is slowing down, possibly due to the effects of climate change. Earth’s rotation rate has been gradually accelerating since the last Ice Age, because of the melting of polar ice sheets. However, a new study in Nature finds that climate change is causing changes in the distribution of water mass around the globe, which is in turn affecting the planet’s rotation rate.The study found that the redistribution of water mass towards the equator is causing a slight braking effect on Earth’s spin. This is delaying the need for a negative leap second, which would have been required within just two years without climate change. The researchers suggest that this time could be used to develop new technologies to handle negative leap seconds or to eliminate the need for them altogether. The study’s findings have important implications for organizations relying on precise timekeeping.