PARIS, France – Earth’s rotation is slowing down due to climate change, leading scientists to consider implementing a negative leap second in the universal time system, a recent report revealed.
The findings, published in the scientific journal Nature, highlight the impact of climate change on the planet’s rotational speed. As ice caps melt and sea levels rise, Earth’s rotation has decelerated to the point where a negative leap second may be necessary by 2029, according to the report.
The concept of a leap second, a mechanism used to align atomic clocks with Earth’s rotation, was initially scheduled for 2026 but has been postponed to 2029, as indicated by study author and geophysicist Duncan Agnew. The upcoming leap second is anticipated to be a negative one, rather than an additional second.
Concerns have been raised by time meteorologists, including Felicitas Arias, former director of the Time Department at the International Bureau of Weights and Measures, about the implications of a missing second. The uncertain nature of a negative leap second poses challenges for timekeepers and researchers.
Leap seconds have been utilized since 1972 to harmonize official time from atomic clocks with Earth’s variable rotation. These adjustments are made to ensure that the difference between atomic time and Earth’s rotational time does not exceed 0.9 seconds, according to the United States Navy.
In an attempt to address the complexities introduced by leap seconds, a global panel of scientists and governmental representatives voted in late 2022 to discontinue leap seconds by 2035. The potential consequences of a negative leap second are significant, with concerns raised about the readiness of computer systems to handle such an adjustment.
Elizabeth Donley, head of the time and frequency division at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, emphasized the challenges associated with leap seconds and the lack of preparation in existing computer codes for a negative leap second. The unforeseen implications of a negative leap second on computing systems add a layer of complexity to the ongoing discussions around timekeeping.
Speculation about the need for a negative leap second hinges on Earth’s continued rotation at its current pace, according to astrogeophysicist Christian Bizouard. The International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service will play a crucial role in determining when a leap second should be introduced, further adding to the uncertainties surrounding this timekeeping adjustment.
As scientists and researchers grapple with the implications of Earth’s changing rotation, the potential introduction of a negative leap second underscores the evolving nature of timekeeping in response to environmental shifts. With further research and deliberation, the global community will continue to navigate the complexities of time synchronization in the face of climate change.