Melting polar ice is slowing the Earth’s rotation, but not enough to offset an even greater acceleration caused by changes in ...

Did you feel that? The planet spun a bit faster last week, by enough to give us our shortest day of the year, so far.

Less ice at the Earth's poles and more water weight spread around to other places are leading to the planet slowing down.

However, as the Earth's rotation sometimes varies, UTC is adjusted slightly when required to maintain a consistent time frame with the Earth's rotation relative to the stars.

On July 9, 2025, scientists at the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) reported that the Earth ...

Discover why Earth’s rotation is accelerating, how lunar gravity and climate changes play a role, and what it means for timekeeping.

So much ice is melting at the Earth's poles that it's affecting the rotation of the planet, scientists say. Its spin is slowing down slightly, causing days to get longer.

Two studies funded by NASA have concluded that Earth’s rotation is slowing due to Earth’s melting polar ice caps.