Melting Polar Ice Caps 'Slow Down' Earth's Rotation

Scientists say that the melting of polar ice caps due to rising global temperatures has caused a slowdown in the Earth's rotation, indicating the widespread effects of climate change on the planet. According to Reuters, researchers have announced that the small but noticeable change in the Earth's axial movement, measured by satellites and astronomical calculations, is due to rising sea levels and the influx of melted ice into the oceans. Jerry Mitrovica, a geophysicist at Harvard University, states: "Since polar ice caps are located in high latitude areas, when they melt, they move towards lower latitude regions. This process causes the Earth's rotation speed to slow down." According to researchers, the movement of melted ice and snow also causes a slight shift in the Earth's axis, or the North Pole, a phenomenon known as "polar drift." This research examines changes in the Earth's rotation and axis shift in light of rising sea levels in the 20th century, a result of increasing global temperatures. Jerry Mitrovica notes that the melting of polar surfaces and rising sea levels have moved the Earth's rotation axis, or North Pole, by less than a centimeter per year. He explains: "This has reduced the Earth's rotation speed and increased the length of the day by about one thousandth of a second over the 20th century." He continues, "These effects are small," but they represent another sign of the profound impact of human activities on climate change. In any case, this slowdown in rotation will not pose a threat to the Earth. The scientist emphasizes that if polar ice levels melt more rapidly, as experts predict, its impact on Earth's rotation will be greater. Following repeated warnings from scientists about global warming due to greenhouse gas emissions, governments have decided to begin cooperating to combat climate change. Negotiations at the United Nations climate change conference in Paris reached a significant stage on Saturday, with over 190 countries signing the first agreement to combat global warming. The long-term goal of this agreement is to prevent the Earth's temperature from rising more than "2 degrees Celsius," while also emphasizing the need to limit this figure to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The Earth's temperature has increased by about 1 degree Celsius since the pre-industrial era. To achieve this goal, governments have committed to stopping the increase in greenhouse gas emissions "as soon as possible." The agreement states that after 2050, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to a level that can be absorbed by forests and oceans. The rise in sea levels is primarily due to factors related to global warming. According to the latest NASA statistics, satellite measurements show that the average sea level rose by 3.24 millimeters in August 2015 compared to the previous month, reaching 66.91 millimeters. In this context, the Daily Mail reported that research results indicate that by 2100, with rising sea levels, 1,800 major cities around the world, including London, Sydney, and New York, will be affected.