Ever see a movie called 'The Man who could work miracles'? One of my favorite movies, not well known because it was made in 1936. If you do happen to watch it you'll see why your post reminds of it.
(click on image for the movie)
Milliseconds? Seriously? I’m not losing any sleep over this ridiculous news. When I start to spin off the earth then I’ll take this seriously.
Hey these things build up....over millennia...
We have to stay absolutely accurate.
(Only half kidding.)
I stopped reading at deducting a second because of the 10 year time frame to lose that one second...
I'm not an expert on the physics of the GPS system, but I believe it relies upon accurate data regarding the position of each satellite and the propagation delay of the signals generated by each satellite.
Since the radio signals from the satellites move at roughly one nanosecond per foot (that is, one billionth of a second per foot) and since a millisecond is equivalent to one million nanoseconds, one might have to deal with errors on the order of one million feet if the timekeeping is off by a millisecond.
My GPS makes errors in guiding me, but an error of a million feet would make the system quite useless.
Impact on Precise Timekeeping for Communications
Synchronization Requirements: Modern communication systems, including GPS, satellites, and internet networks, rely on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which is maintained by over 400 atomic clocks worldwide with nanosecond precision. Even millisecond discrepancies can disrupt synchronization. For example, GPS satellites require exact timing to calculate positions accurately; a millisecond error can translate to a positional error of hundreds of meters.
Data Transmission: High-speed data networks tag data packets with precise timestamps to ensure correct sequencing and delivery. A faster Earth rotation can cause a mismatch between astronomical time (based on Earth’s rotation) and UTC, potentially leading to data corruption or system crashes if not adjusted.
Power grids operate at a precise frequency (e.g., 60 Hz in the U.S., 50 Hz in Europe). Bad timing, like a negative leap second causing a mismatch in synchronized clocks, can disrupt frequency regulation. This can lead to:
Power grids rely on precise timing to synchronize electricity supply across regions. A timing error can cause:
A small timing error can trigger a domino effect. For instance, a single generator tripping offline due to frequency mismatch can overload others, potentially collapsing entire grid sections.
Restoring a destabilized grid is complex and time-consuming, requiring careful resynchronization. During this period, prolonged outages could disrupt supply chains, emergency services, and public safety.
Grid operators use backup systems like GPS-independent clocks and robust frequency control mechanisms to minimize risks. However, an unprecedented negative leap second, as potentially necessitated by Earth's faster rotation, could stress these systems, especially if software isn't updated to handle it. Ongoing efforts to phase out leap seconds by 2035 aim to reduce such risks, but short-term vulnerabilities remain.
In summary, bad timing can destabilize power grids by disrupting frequency and synchronization, risking equipment damage, blackouts, and widespread societal impacts. Proactive monitoring and software updates are critical to prevent these issues.
Leap Second Challenges: Adding or subtracting a leap second can disrupt power grid timing systems. For instance, when positive leap seconds were added in the past (e.g., 2012), some systems, including those of Qantas Airlines and Reddit, experienced issues due to the unexpected time adjustment. A negative leap second could exacerbate this, as most systems are not programmed to handle a skipped second, potentially causing frequency mismatches or outages
Climate Counteraction: Interestingly, climate change-induced ice melt redistributes mass toward the equator, slowing Earth’s rotation slightly and counteracting the speedup. This may delay the need for a negative leap second (potentially until 2029 instead of 2026), but it complicates long-term predictions for grid management.
Monitoring and Adaptation: Continuous monitoring by organizations like the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) is crucial to predict and manage these changes. However, the unpredictability of Earth’s rotation, influenced by factors like the moon’s gravitational pull, atmospheric changes, and the liquid core, makes long-term planning challenging.
In summary, the Earth’s faster rotation introduces small but critical challenges for precise timekeeping in communications and power systems, primarily due to the potential need for a negative leap second and the reliance of modern technology on exact synchronization. While natural factors like climate change may mitigate the issue, the unprecedented nature of a negative leap second poses significant risks to global infrastructure.
Ever see a movie called 'The Man who could work miracles'? One of my favorite movies, not well known because it was made in 1936. If you do happen to watch it you'll see why your post reminds of it.
(click on image for the movie)