2024-10-08 01:10:01
The idea sounds like a science fiction film. What would be the consequences of an abrupt stop in the Earth’s rotation? We explain the consequences.
The Earth rotates at a speed of about 1,670 kilometers per hour at the equator. You don’t feel any of it, even though she doesn’t take a short break. But what would happen if an external circumstance forced the earth to stand still? We’ll tell you the consequences.
All life on Earth has adapted to rotation, even if you don’t feel it. A sudden stop in the Earth’s rotation would cause everything else to continue flying, including you! Because just because the earth stops rotating, this does not automatically apply to houses, animals, people, water and air. As a result, all the things would take off and hover in low Earth orbit above the Earth, at their usual pace.
That sounds harmless at first, but the consequences would be fatal. Even close to the poles, the abrupt stop would result in an enormous development of force. Earthquakes and tsunamis would be the result, a drama for the earth.
The rotation of the earth ensures that day and night alternate in a 24-hour cycle. Climate change is already causing the days to lengthen. From a human perspective, this is insignificant in realistic time frames, the increase is only 1.7 thousandths of a second in a century. Rapid changes would result in a halt in earth movement.
Without the rotation, day and night would each last six months. It would be extremely hot on the sunny side, while the cold would be hostile to life on the dark side. The atmosphere would also shift: the winds that normally spread along the equator as the Earth rotates would collapse. This could lead to a complete upheaval in global weather patterns.
Another effect would be the shifting of the oceans. Since the centrifugal force of the Earth’s rotation would be eliminated, the water masses in the oceans would shift from the poles towards the equator. This could lead to flooding of many coastal regions, while the poles could become almost dry.
An even more serious problem could be the disappearance of the earth’s magnetic field. This magnetic field is created by the liquid outer core, which remains in motion as the Earth rotates. Without rotation, the core could cool and solidify, which would cause the magnetic field to go out. Without this protective shield, the Earth would be defenseless against harmful radiation from space. This could severely impact life on Earth or even make it impossible.
Theoretically, the Earth could stop rotating not suddenly, but slowly. In this case the effects would be less dramatic, but still devastating. The day would gradually lengthen and extreme climatic changes would occur that could destabilize the Earth’s ecosystem. In the long term, the magnetic field would also become weaker here, which could cause similar problems.
An abrupt or even slow stop to the Earth’s rotation would have catastrophic consequences for our planet. Earth is a delicate balance of forces, and any disruption could have serious consequences for life. While such an event is unlikely in the near future, it shows how dependent we are on Earth’s natural processes.