{"id":476333,"date":"2026-10-03T12:45:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T19:45:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=476333"},"modified":"2026-10-03T12:45:57","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T19:45:57","slug":"global-warming-is-making-days-longer-by-speeding-up-the-atmosphere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=476333","title":{"rendered":"Global Warming Is Making Days Longer by Speeding Up the Atmosphere"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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AI generated by Grok<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is a Science X Dialog piece written by the lead author of the research. It closely follows (and largely reproduces) his earlier \u201cBehind the Paper\u201d post on the Springer Nature Research Communities site. It summarizes the findings of the March 2026 paper in npj Climate and Atmospheric Science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Atmospheric circulation not only drives weather and climate but also carries angular momentum. Shifts in winds or mass distribution allow the atmosphere to exchange momentum with the solid Earth, slightly changing the planet\u2019s rotation rate (and thus the Abstract<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Changes in the large-scale atmospheric circulation that regulate Earth\u2019s climate can slow its rotation by increasing the Length of Day (LOD). Using large-ensemble simulations from three global climate models under the SSP3-7.0 scenario, we find that global warming-driven changes in Atmospheric Angular Momentum (AAM) propagate into measurable variations in LOD. These arise from modifications in both the mass and motion components of AAM. As the climate warms, expansion of the Hadley cell, intensification of subtropical jets, and weakening of tropical trade winds enhance the motion of the AAM, while a strengthened westward pressure gradient force associated with mountain torque and weakened surface friction torque indicate a reduced efficiency of momentum exchange with the solid Earth. Together, these processes accelerate the atmosphere and slow Earth\u2019s rotation. By the late 21st<\/sup> century, AAM-driven LOD increases reach 10\u201318% of the lunar tidal friction trend, highlighting anthropogenic climate change\u2019s role in Earth\u2019s rotational dynamics., or LOD).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Previous work had projected rising Atmospheric Angular Momentum (AAM) <\/strong>under warming, but the dynamical reasons were unclear. Using large- ensemble simulations from three global climate models <\/strong>under a high- emissions scenario<\/strong>, the team found a consistent picture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n