Most of us wish we had more than 24 hours in a day to do anything and relax. What if each day gave us more than twice as much time? If it weren’t for the phenomenon that caused the Earth’s days to lengthen billions of years ago, it probably would have.
Earth did not have 24-hour days. There were less than 10 hours in a day when the Moon began to exist 4.5 billion years ago, but it grew like a moon. wave energy He gradually reduced the circumference of the Earth. But there was a long time when the days did not grow at all. Astronomers have now discovered that, from 2 billion to 600 million years ago, days were about 19.5 hours long because several forces canceled each other out and kept the Earth spinning at the same speed for more than a billion years. If this did not happen, our days could have more than 65 hours.
“The fact that the day is 24 hours long … is no coincidence,” the research team said in a recent study. Advances in Science.
Giving around
So how do the tidal forces from the Sun and Moon affect the rotation of the Earth? The moon’s energy comes from the Moon’s gravity. This is why the part of our planet that is closest to the Moon and the part that is farthest away will explode and the seas will experience huge waves (swells affect the land but are not visible to the naked eye). The Moon’s gravity pulls on these particles and thus resists the rotation of the Earth. The plates of these shells change as the Earth rotates, creating friction that further slows the rotation.
There are two types of solar radiation that create torque, the twisting force that affects rotation. The first type of solar torque is the sun’s force, and it works in the same way as the moon, which causes the ocean currents to change slightly, thus reducing the speed of the earth.
The second type is the torque of the heat waves. As sunlight heats the atmosphere, it causes it to expand, creating another handle that the Sun’s gravity can cling to. This force pushes the Earth to spin faster. Although the Sun’s gravitational pull is very strong, our star has it 390 times more from the Earth than the Moon, so the moon creates tides twice the power. As a result, the days continue to grow a little longer.
A period of stasis
Two billion years ago, everything changed. The world was very hot. This affected the heat waves that sunlight creates in the atmosphere, with higher temperatures meaning higher tides. The frequency of those waves traveling through the atmosphere created resonance in the atmosphere, which increased its power. For a billion years, that rhythm and the length of the day remained the same, with the waves in the atmosphere moving every time the Earth completed about half a cycle.
Because the Earth’s orbital period was almost twice the resonance period, the Sun’s atmospheric currents became stronger, causing the Sun’s gravitational pull to work. The result was a torque that resembled that from the moon’s currents. The world did not start moving slowly or quickly. The sun didn’t get any longer until 600 million years ago—a billion years after sound began.
The research team confirmed the results of their models by examining geological evidence of high and low tides from ancient rocks. “The long duration and recent events of this type may be responsible for the 24-hour long day,” the astronomers said in the study.
Possible rise in temperature due to global warming throwing more and more inconsistent sounds around and prolonging the days? It’s happening right now. The greater the frequency and variability, the less energy of the solar waves can overcome the energy of the moon that has been increasing the number of days on Earth for many years. Maybe we could all use a few extra hours in the day, but not to the detriment of our planet.
Advances in Science, 2023. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add2499 (About DOIs).
Elizabeth Rayne is a creature that writes. His work has appeared on SYFY WIRE, Space.com, Live Science, Grunge, Den of Geek, and Forbidden Futures. When he’s not writing, he can move, draw, or play like someone no one has ever heard of. Follow him on Twitter @quothravenrayne.