A new study suggests that climate change is slowing down Earth’s rotation, delaying the need for a negative leap second. This is due to the melting of ice sheets, which redistributes water mass and affects the planet’s spin. This news provides a temporary respite for organizations reliant on precise timekeeping.
Omega, the Swiss watchmaker, has been the official timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932. For the Paris 2024 Games, the brand brought in 350 tonnes of specialized equipment and 550 timekeepers, showcasing their commitment to precise timekeeping. Beyond its technical expertise, Omega has also created a series of special watch models dedicated to the Games, offering luxury memorabilia for fans to commemorate this sporting event.
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.
