Earth's Rotation Confirmed to Have Slowed Down, Inner Core Appears to be 'Reversing and Backtracking'

Earth's rotation is an important aspect for all life on the planet. After all, it influences weather, ocean tides, geological dynamics, and other natural conditions. Most notably, the circular movement of Earth determines the duration, length of darkness and light from the Sun. However, the thought that the celestial body that we are living in would eventually stop or slow down may seem out of science fiction.

However, the decrease in speed of Earth's rotation is not fictional at all and is also grounded in reality. According to a study earlier in June 2024, Earth's rotation has been confirmed to be slowing down after researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) found that the planet's inner core appears to be "reversing and backtracking." Evidence of this phenomenon revealed that it started since 2010.

Based on unprecedented scientific evidence, the slowing down of Earth's inner core can bring potential weather and geological impacts to the planet, affecting animal and plant life across the biosphere. While it is unclear until when this trend will continue, the new research paper blamed changes in the outer core as the cause of the inner core's slowing speed relative to the planet's surface.

Earth's Rotation Slows Down

Following contestations among the scientific community on the movement of Earth's inner core, new evidence sheds light on the debate. In a media release on June 12, USC scientists announced that Earth's rotation is slowing down after it was found that the planet's inner core is reversing and backtracking. The announcement states there is "clear evidence" the planet's rotation speed started to decrease around 2010.

According to Dean's Professor John Vidale, from USC's Earth Sciences, discovered seismograms hinted the change in Earth's rotation and inner core. This unprecedented discovery was further confirmed after the researchers detected additional two dozen observations that indicate the unexpected find. Vidale adds the "result was inescapable," confirming the inner core slowed down for the first time in many decades.

Weather and Geological Impacts

The USC's findings about Earth's inner core reversing and backtracking was published in the journal Nature on June 12. Based on seismic data, there was an occurrence of inner core backtracking caused by seismic waveform change reversals. Before arriving at their conclusion, researchers compiled 143 different pairs of recurring earthquakes between 1991 and 2023 in the South Sandwich Islands.

Scientific evidence in the past has shown that changes in the Earth's rotation have potential weather and geological impacts. For instance, the possibility of a complete halt or decrease in the speed of the inner core's movement can disrupt our circadian rhythm and even affect weather patterns.

Furthermore, the planet could see longer daytime and nighttime hours, different from the conventional 24-hour timekeeping. Moreover, the phenomenon can also influence the planet's seismic waves, potentially leading to massive earthquakes, according to scientists.