Canadian study says Earth's core is quietly changing the length of a day
A recent study published in Nature reveals that deep-Earth forces are subtly altering Earth's rotation and changing day length by milliseconds over decades. Researchers found that gravitational, electromagnetic, and topographic coupling within the planet's core drive these shifts.
Why it matters
Deepens scientific understanding of planetary interiors and the complex physical mechanisms governing Earth's rotation cycles.
A new study found that forces deep inside the planet are subtly speeding up and slowing down Earth's rotation, changing the length of a day by milliseconds over the course of decades, Gizmodo reported.
In a Nature paper published Wednesday, researchers argued that a long-running question about multidecadal changes in Earth's rotation may be explained by processes inside the planet.
The explanation involves three competing mechanisms — gravitational, electromagnetic, and topographic coupling — that help account for those changes.
According to Huifeng Zhang, a University of Alberta doctoral candidate and the study's first author, gravitational coupling between the inner core and the mantle appears to produce most of the shift, while the other two mechanisms push in the opposite direction, the outlet noted.
Zhang and co-author Mathieu Dumberry reached that conclusion by comparing statistical models with observational records spanning roughly six decades.
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