3 ms·
You're right, but I'd argue this problem is already here. Thanks to glaciers melting, earth rotation is (temporarily) accelerating. Because of that, positive l
by nousermane 4y ago
You're right, but I'd argue this problem is already here.
Thanks to glaciers melting, earth rotation is (temporarily) accelerating. Because of that, positive leap seconds, regular before, didn't happen since 2017 - so there could very well be (recent) software out there that has that code-path broken, and nobody noticed yet.
And due to exact same geophysical effect we might see a negative leap second - something that never ever happened before. What are the odds that every single piece of software gets that one right?
- zh3 4y agoInteresting point. Just like a skater pulling their arms in, snow melting and running to lower ground would make the earth spin faster (and let's add in the extra erosion). Sea levels are rising though (due to both thermal expansion and runoff). Be interesting to estimate the size of the various effects (no doubt I've missed plenty of others) but is it really true that a change in sign of the acceleration of Earth's angular velocity is down to climate change?
- vegetablepotpie 4y agoI don’t think that’s right. I would think the effect of melt of glaciers on mountains would be negligible and the effect of the poles melting and sending that water down to the poles would slow down rotation, like an ice skater pushing their arms out.
- withinboredom 4y agoAll the ice isn't /exactly/ at the poles, but well down the side as well. Also, ice is less dense than water.