Climate change has serious consequences on many levels. According to a study published in the journal Nature on March 27, 2024, the measurement of time could also be affected.
Climate change disrupts the measurement of time
The measurement of time is based on the rotation of the Earth. A rotation constitutes a day, i.e. 24 hours which contain 60 minutes, a minute being equal to 60 seconds, etc. But there is another method of measuring time, which is based on atomic clocks. This is a more precise system, since the rotation of the Earth can vary, while this measurement is immutable. It is based on the pulsations of a radioactive Cesium atom.
Until now, for the measurement provided by atomic clocks to coincide with that made from the rotation of the Earth, a second was sometimes added. In a few years, for the first time, one will have to be removed. And the climate change that has happened, causing the melting of Antarctica and Greenland, could push back the planned date for this operation.
A disruption of the computer network?
The reason ? This phenomenon causes a slowdown in the acceleration of the Earth’s rotation. While scientists had planned to remove a second from atomic clocks in 2026 to align with the Earth’s rotation, ultimately it will be necessary to wait until 2029.
This withdrawal of a second constitutes an unprecedented event. The global computer network will need to synchronize, which could cause disruptions in finance, geolocation, energy distribution and telecommunications.
France Info talks in particular about the timing of stock market operations in Europe which require precision of the order of a thousandth of a second, and where any error can lead to a catastrophe.