About 1.4 billion years ago, a day lasted 18 hours and 41 minutes, while during the time of the dinosaurs it lasted 23 hours. And tomorrow ? Almost 25 hours a day?
A recent discovery made by scientists at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) reveals that the Earth’s rotation is experiencing changes that could lead to 25-hour days on our planet in the future. According to the study, the length of days on Earth has varied significantly over the millennia. About 1.4 billion years ago, a day lasted 18 hours and 41 minutes, while during the time of the dinosaurs it lasted 23 hours. Currently we live in 24-hour days, but research suggests that the future holds 25-hour days.
Indeed, contrary to popular belief that the Earth’s rotation follows a precise 24-hour cycle, the reality is more complex due to the heterogeneous composition of our planet, which includes various solids and liquids. This mixing influences the rotation speed of our planet, causing variations in the time it takes for Earth to complete a complete rotation on its axis.
The gradual decrease in rotational speed, at a rate of about 1.7 milliseconds per century, is attributed to factors such as tidal friction generated by the gravitational interaction between the Earth and the Moon, as well as the seismic activity and changes in atmospheric circulation.
Using advanced technologies, scientists have been able to precisely measure small changes in the Earth’s rotation. Currently, it is estimated that every two weeks, the Earth experiences fluctuations of 6 milliseconds in its rotation. Based on these measurements, the transition to 25-hour days can be predicted to occur over a period of 200 million years.
This change, apparently distant in time, has significant implications for meteorology, the development of climate forecast models and astronomy. Although humanity may not witness this phenomenon firsthand, scientists point out that the adaptability of living things to gradual changes in day length has been key to our survival over millions of years. Thus, this study, the result of research on the dynamics of Earth’s rotation, marks a milestone in understanding the evolution of day length throughout history.