Scientists befuddled as Earth's spin slows after record speed in July 2020

After reports emerged about the earth spinning at a faster rate in 2020, new observations have suggested that our planet has now slowed down. According to scientific reports submitted by timekeepers in July 2020, Earth had completed one rotation (one day) 1.4602 milliseconds faster than the average time of 86,400 seconds (24 hours), reported Live Science. Scientists are now baffled by this new finding as our planet is back to its known routine of taking slightly higher time to rotate once.

New suggestions about Earth's spin simmering down have created a conflict in just a few months as scientists earlier found evidence quite the opposite. Back in July, it was revealed that the Earth clocked in 28 fastest days on record which was a rare feat since the 1960s. Scientists had claimed that on average, days have turned about 0.5 seconds shorter than 24 hours, something which can be challenged now. 

This complexity has been amplified with the concept of "leap second", which works the same way as a leap year, except that fractions of seconds are added to the rotation time create a complete second for measuring time precisely. Last year, the International Earth Rotation and Reference System Service (IERS) had announced that no "leap second" would be added to the world's official timekeeping and it might not be needed anytime soon. Instead, some scientists believe that we might need a "negative leap second" to manage the synchronisation of time with Earth's rotation.  

What causes a change in Earth's spin?

As per the scientists, Earth's rotation, which depends on several factors, might again speed up or slow down in the future. Factors such as the Moon's gravity and earthquakes are some of the major factors that decide the speed of Earth's rotation. It is evident that if one can change the influence of the Moon's gravity on Earth, our planet's spin can also be influenced. Besides this, earthquakes cause a distribution of the planet's mass which also results in a change in rotation speed. 

Why does it matter?

Although it will hardly be felt by humans, change in Earth's rotation speed could turn out to be unproductive for modern-day technologies. Resources such as GPS satellites, cellphones, computers, and communication networks will be significantly impacted as they rely on precise timings, reported BBC.  

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