What Would Happen If the Earth Stopped Spinning?

Jakarta –

The earth rotates every day. It orbits the Sun 365 days a year. But what would happen if the Earth stopped spinning?

The Earth rotates eastward at a speed of 1,674 kilometers/hour. If it suddenly stops, Newton’s first law of inertia will occur.

Consequences of the Earth Stopping Suddenly

Thanks to Newton’s first law of inertia, humans would be ‘hurled’ eastward at a speed of about 1,040 miles per hour. Wherever humans land, whether at sea or on land, the force of the impact can kill.

“Water will also feel this sudden acceleration,” said Joseph Levy, professor of earth and environmental geosciences at Colgate University in Science Alert quoted Friday (29/12/2023).

Trees and buildings are also unsafe, even if they are rooted in the ground.

“Earth materials are strong when compressed but very weak under pressure,” Levy said.

Effects on Antarctica and Australia

If this happened in the Northern Hemisphere, Antarctica, humans would have a better chance of surviving with a few bruises.

“Near the poles, the rotation axis is much smaller, so the rotation speed is much smaller,” he explained.

However, you have to be very close to latitude 89.9 degrees or 7 miles from the poles. At that distance, you would probably stumble forward at walking speed.

But your friend in Australia probably won’t make it. Most places inhabited by humans are far enough from the poles that their inhabitants can still fly at hundreds of miles per hour.

Unpredictable Weather

Apart from that, humans will also experience unexpected weather changes. When only half of a planet gets intense sunlight for months on end, it experiences a second, sideways temperature gradient, which makes weather predictions twice as complicated.

“The wind will blow across the shadow line bringing cold air back from the night side, then warm and rise on the day side,” Levy explained.

What If the Earth Slows Down?

Gradual deceleration could prevent humans from launching into space. But once it stops, humans will still have a lot of problems.

“During the year as the Earth orbits the Sun, half the planet will be at night and half will be in full light, but the other half will continue to change throughout the year,” Levy said.

Instead of 12 hours, one day can last six months. The sun’s relentless rays will burn nearby plants and evaporate most of the water on half of the Earth.

“The next six months probably won’t be much better,” Levy said.

Lack of light and warmth will kill many remaining plants and freeze the water into a layer of ice.

Higher latitudes may be safer, because the sun’s rays will not be as strong near the poles. However, humans will return to a nomadic lifestyle that always chases sunlight around the world.

Watch the video “Scientists Say Humans Have Pushed Earth into the ‘Planetary Boundary’ Danger Zone”

(nir/nwk)

2023-12-31 11:00:00
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