Our ancestors marked time in days, following the sun’s cycles. However, in the 20th century, scientists discovered that the Earth’s rotation is an unreliable timekeeper as no two days are exactly the same length.
Various factors, including earthquakes and the moon’s gravity, influence the Earth’s rotation. Megastructures like the Three Gorges Dam in China also impact this rotation. This dam, the largest in the world, can cause a tiny slowdown in the Earth’s rotation due to its mass and distance from the rotation axis.
Other human activities, such as the shrinking of Lake Aral, have a more significant impact on the Earth’s rotation. Humans altering the natural world can lead to subtle changes in the Earth’s rotation, affecting the accuracy needed for satellite control and space exploration. Earth’s rotation is no longer used as a precise timekeeping method, reflecting the complex interactions affecting the planet’s movement.
Experts like Dr. Benjamin Feng Chao, Professor Mike Thomas, and Dr. Robert Dill study these phenomena, emphasizing the importance of understanding how human actions influence the Earth’s rotation.
Source: www.sciencefocus.com
