Melting polar ice is messing with global timekeeping

Ice loss caused by climate change is slowing the Earth's rotation

Man setting clock
Human-caused "global warming is managing to actually measurably affect the rotation of the entire Earth"
(Image credit: Jeff J Mitchell / Getty Images)

What happened

So much polar ice is melting and flowing toward the equator that it's influencing how fast the Earth spins, complicating global timekeeping, said a paper published in Nature on Wednesday.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.