Warming oceans = shorter days

[Tormod]

From the department of Useful Applications of Science:

 

Warming oceans may diminish length of day

 

Redistribution of ocean water on Earth's surface caused by a warmer climate will likely cause changes to the planet's rotation and incrementally affect the length of day, according to a new report. Landerer et al. analyze future ocean conditions predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment. Because increasing heat captured by the oceans may raise sea level, change the ocean's circulation, and affect the ocean-bottom pressure, a significant portion of ocean mass may transfer away from deep waters to shallower shelf areas. The researchers’ model indicates that, by the end of the 22nd century as a result of expected warming, enough water mass could shift toward Earth's axis of rotation to shorten the length of day by approximately 0.12 milliseconds.

 

I fail to see how this can be anything but pure speculation.

 

(Source: press release via e-mail)

[Jay-qu]

From the department of usefull Applications LOL