A day on Earth could now be of 25 hours due to…, China’s Three Gorges dam will now be…

We have been taught from the very beginning that a day on earth consists of 24 hours; however scientists have now begun to say that due to certain factors like the drifting away of moon and melting of glaciers, the duration of a day on Earth is going to increase to 25 hours. Here are all the details you need to know about the possible changes in duration of a day on earth in the future.

US Scientists on 25 hour theory

According to University of Wisconsin-Madison research, the Moon is drifting away from Earth at 3.8 cm per year and the drifting of moon could make Earth’s days last 25 hours in about 200 million years.

Stephen Meyers, a professor at the geoscience department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was quoted as saying by a Live Mint report that the gravitational interactions between the Earth and the Moon could be a primary cause behind the slowing of Earth’s rotation.

“As the moon moves away, the Earth is like a spinning figure skater who slows down as they stretch their arms out,” said Meyers.

One more reason that is mentioned by many reports, causing the slowing down of Earth’s rotation is the melting of glaciers, causing a significant redistribution of Earth’s mass, gradually reducing the speed of Earth’s rotation down over time.

Media reports also state that China’s Three Gorges Dam, built on the Yangtze River, is also one of the reasons why Earth is not able to rotate to its full speed, causing an increase in the day duration of earth. Therefore, the duration of a day on earth might increase from 24 hours to 25 hours in the years to come.

Scientists say that the change in duration of a day on Earth won’t be noticeable in our lifetimes. Instead, it only reflects how planetary dynamics and gravitational forces continue to shape Earth’s behavior over geological time.

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