Canadian study links Earth's core gravitational torque to slow changes in day length
First published Tue, Sep 29
Earth's day is not exactly 24 hours long, and the reason may lie deep inside the planet. A Canadian study says the planet's core is quietly changing the length of a day.12
Gravitational torque drives multidecadal variations in the length of day, according to research published in Nature. The finding addresses why the length of a day changes slowly over time.34
WIRED describes the mechanism as a gravitational battle within the Earth that is changing the length of days. The accounts frame the discovery as an explanation for a long-observed but previously unexplained variation.52