Rising sea levels will slow down Earth's rotation

Scientists at Harvard have concluded that as the Earth warms and glaciers melt, oceans rise, and oceans expand, that the Earth's rotation will slow down. This slowing down only amounts to seconds per year but is still something important to watch out for.

Using a combination of calculations and computer modeling, a team of researchers led by Jerry Mitrovica of Harvard University have finally confirmed the effect. It turns out that Earth’s rotation has slowed by 16,000 seconds, or about 4.5 hours, since 500 B.C. According to Mitrovica's team, 6,000 seconds of this can be blamed specifically on changing sea levels.

Much of the change in sea level during this period of time has been due to the natural process of glacial recession since the last ice age, but the team was able to correct previous miscalculations about the correlation between sea level change and Earth's rotational spin by factoring in updated numbers on 20th century sea level changes, among other things.

It can therefore be expected that as sea levels continue to rise, Earth's rotation will continue to slow down. Although this effect only amounts to a few seconds each year, which is not really perceptible, it further goes to show just how profoundly modern climate change is capable of disrupting our planet.

So if the Earth's rotation slows down will people naturally live longer? Will a slower rotating Earth be better for humanity or worse? What says ATS?

www.mnn.com...

a reply to: lostbook

Also, does rotation have anything to do with gravity. Will humans get weaker if the Earth slows down and will gravity weaken? What about storms? Will a change in gravity make storms weaker or stronger?

a reply to: lostbook

This makes absolutely no sense.

originally posted by: greencmp
a reply to: lostbook

This makes absolutely no sense.

But it's hilarious?

People will live 4.5 hours longer over a 1,500 year span.

a reply to: lostbook


Ummm...YAWN...more of that wonderful computer modeling...garbage in garbage out...

Wake me when Everest is under water would you...?




YouSir

originally posted by: greencmp
a reply to: lostbook

This makes absolutely no sense.

Just reporting the article to ATS, as-is.

It makes sense to me. When the glaciers melt, there will be more moving water. I could be wrong but I assume that water is heavier than ice-that's why ice floats in water. As more water is added to the Oceans, the Earth will be slowed down to account for that extra water; eventually things will probably get back to normal as we know it. This is my non-scientific perspective.

Doesn't water contract when it's heated (i.e., when ice melts)?

Wouldn't that suggest that the planet would actually get slightly smaller as more ice water is converted to liquid?

Wouldn't that mean that the relative speed of our rotation would actually increase?



Probably a much too simple example to use on a planetary scale.

a reply to: Snarl

Wow it makes us live for 1500 years too!

So what happened to speed the earth up over the long haul?
With more than one round of ice ages and melts....how did earth speed up between times?
Entropy is after all entropy...

Will this mean that atomic clocks will have to be re-calibrated .??

a reply to: lostbook

"Scientists at Harvard"?

The same school that now outlaws the word "Master" because of its racist overtones in reference to slavery?

originally posted by: NthOther
Doesn't water contract when it's heated (i.e., when ice melts)?

Wouldn't that suggest that the planet would actually get slightly smaller as more ice water is converted to liquid?

Wouldn't that mean that the relative speed of our rotation would actually increase?

Probably a much too simple example to use on a planetary scale, but common sense is still relevant in most applications.

I would hope. Maybe not at Harvard, though.

I think it expands. It's called Thermal Expansion or something to that effect. Water is also heavier than ice so that will put more strain on the Earth to move it all. Resulting in a "slow down" at the Ok Corral. See what I did there?

originally posted by: lostbook

I think it expands. It's called Thermal Expansion or something to that effect. Water is also heavier than ice so that will put more strain on the Earth to move it all. Resulting in a "slow down" at the Ok Corral. See what I did there?

It expands when it freezes. If you don't believe me, go throw a can of your favorite beverage in the freezer and check back with us in a few hours.

And the relative weight of the water in various phases is irrelevant, because it doesn't change the mass of the planet. That cannot be changed, except with the addition of matter from extraplanetary sources (meteor impacts, moon rocks from Apollo, etc.) The planet will never be any heavier or lighter as a result of water changing through its various phases, gravity remaining constant.

That could be handy, as I get older the days fly by. If the days get longer, I might feel younger.

a reply to: NthOther

It expands when it freezes.

Yes, water does expand when it freezes. Ice is less dense than water though, that's why it floats.

Water also expands when it warms. And, likewise, warm water is less dense than colder water. That's why the surface of a lake is warm on a summer day, but dive down a few feet...


But the weight of water (frozen or otherwise) is not really the point here. It is the distribution of that water and how it affects the angular momentum of Earth's rotation. More water in the oceans will tend to accumulate near the equator (due to Earth's rotation). That will cause an effect similar to an ice skater extending her arms, it will slow Earth's rotation.

Remember the buzz about the Japan earthquake slowing Earth's rotation? Same principle.

originally posted by: NthOther

originally posted by: lostbook

I think it expands. It's called Thermal Expansion or something to that effect. Water is also heavier than ice so that will put more strain on the Earth to move it all. Resulting in a "slow down" at the Ok Corral. See what I did there?

It expands when it freezes. If you don't believe me, go throw a can of your favorite beverage in the freezer and check back with us in a few hours.

And the relative weight of the water in various phases is irrelevant, because it doesn't change the mass of the planet. That cannot be changed, except with the addition of matter from extraplanetary sources (meteor impacts, moon rocks from Apollo, etc.) The planet will never be any heavier or lighter as a result of water changing through its various phases.

You're right, it does expand upon freezing. However, water is heavier than ice. I'm sure of that.

originally posted by: NthOther
It expands when it freezes. If you don't believe me, go throw a can of your favorite beverage in the freezer and check back with us in a few hours.

And the relative weight of the water in various phases is irrelevant, because it doesn't change the mass of the planet. That cannot be changed, except with the addition of matter from extraplanetary sources (meteor impacts, moon rocks from Apollo, etc.) The planet will never be any heavier or lighter as a result of water changing through its various phases.

It also expands when it's heated, relative to when it's most dense at a cool 4°C. Ice expansion is greater, but the oceans don't freeze, save for a rather thin layer of ice at the poles in the winter.

originally posted by: Phage

More water in the oceans will tend to accumulate near the equator (due to Earth's rotation). That will cause an effect similar to an ice skater extending her arms, it will slow Earth's rotation.

I didn't think of that. Touche, sir.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: NthOther

It expands when it freezes.

Yes, water does expand when it freezes. Ice is less dense than water though, that's why it floats.

Water also expands when it warms. And, likewise, warm water is less dense than colder water. That's why the surface of a lake is warm on a summer day, but dive down a few feet...


But the weight of water (frozen or otherwise) is not really the point here. It is the distribution of that water and how it affects the angular momentum of Earth's rotation. More water in the oceans will tend to accumulate near the equator (due to Earth's rotation). That will cause an effect similar to an ice skater extending her arms, it will slow Earth's rotation.

Remember the buzz about the Japan earthquake slowing Earth's rotation? Same principle.

So, water expands when it freezes AND when it warms? Interesting.....thanks, Phage.

What we need to do to counter it is to put giant sails up and anchor them into the earth. When the wind blows, it'll speed up he earths rotation.

Or just have everyone run west.

That'll also speed up the rotation.

Or anchor a giant rocket on earth, point it east and fire it.

That'll do it.