Could the earth and its people survive if there were no Moon?

Question

Just a silly wondering - if the Moon suddenly disappeared, would it have any negative effects on the earth? Would it throw off our orbit, cause tidal waves, other effects?

Answer 1

It would be catastrophic. The moon stabilizes the Earth's revolution. Without the moon the Earth would wobble about its axis. This would cause constant severe weather with no patterns. Growing seasons would not be long enough to grow crops. Hurricanes, bigger than any we've ever seen would be common. All coastal cities would be completely obliterated.
Eventually the moon WILL disappear. The moon moves away from the Earth a couple of inches every year. Over time Earth's gravity will lose it's hold on the moon.
Millions of years ago the moon looked much, much bigger because it was so much closer to the Earth.
When the Earth was first forming it was constantly bombarded by meteors. The moon was one of those meteors. It bounced off the Earth and was trapped in orbit. One of the many "miracles" that made are planet inhabitable.

Answer 2

If it SUDDENLY disappeared, it would be catastrophic. The center of gravity of the earth-moon system is just a few hundred miles below the surface of the earth. If the moon disappeared, we would immediately be out of our normal orbit and either begin a much more radical, elliptical orbit, or perhaps leave orbit altogether, it would depend on what part of our revolution with the moon we were on.

I wanted to add this since most of the responses seem to be ignore the effect of it's actual disappearance.

As for what would happen if we were kept in a stable orbit but the moon weren't there, Things would be quite different. We wouldn't have tides like we do now, the precession of the earth would be affected, etc... But it would take quite a long time to have a "catastrophic" effect, I believe.

Answer 3

Well, before I read the details, I expected to point out that earth might never have evolved anything but the most rudimentary life if it hadn't been for the effect of the tides, which is caused by the moon. But to ask what would happen if it disappeared now that we are already here is, of course, quite a different question. The answer would clearly depend on the method of its disappearance. Our orbit would probably change whatever the method, and certainly that would have profound effects. But again, the effects would depend on the details. A very little bit closer to the sun or a very little bit further out would have profound effects on human life, which is already so precarious. And there would be great melting in one direction, great freezing in the other, which would affect a whole lot of things, not the least of which would be our food supply. It is possible that a remnant of the human species would survive, but the vast bulk of the population would be victims of all the secondary and tertiary effects. That remnant would most likely be those most able to either creatively adapt to the new conditions or use space travel to remove themselves from them. In either case, the most technologically sophisticated.

Answer 4

Excellent question! My thoughts on this are that the prospects of life being able to take hold in earth's primordial ocean, without the moon to generate tides, would not be good. Besides generating substantial tides on earth, the moon also helps protect earth from meteorite impacts, many of which would have threatened life on earth. I believe that the moon was strategically placed in earth's orbit by the Almighty Creator, and His angelic servants for these express purposes.

Answer 5

If you are asking what would the earth be like if the moon was never there, there would be very little ocean tide and the days would be shorter.

Life on the land would have evolved differently. Other than that, I don't see much difference.

I think that it is unusual for a planet our size to have a moon that big.

Answer 6

The most immediate effect would be an end to the tide cycle. Because the moon has such a strong effect on tides, if it all of a sudden disappeared there could be flash flooding.

Answer 7

If this phenom occurred in a moment now, yes, it would probably wipe out alot of life here, change the Earth's axis greatly, and reak havoc with nature in volcanic eruptions, tidal waves, etc.

The moon creates a balance with Earth...providing gravity shifts that nature has well complied with in its evolution, so it makes sense that to lose that part of its beingness would greatly disturb what has been created with it.

Answer 8

If the Moon left Orbit, the Water on this Planet would try 2 follow!
Yes I know sounds Catastrophic, huh?
Lets all hope that it doesn't ever happen!

Answer 9

most likley weather patterns would be really wako seeing as the moon controls the tides and help the currents. Also i would be really dark at night and our graitation pull on earth may increase so we might pull other things into our orbit. I don't really know what other affects it might have on the earth though...

Answer 10

the moon is responsible for tidal action. I'm sure a lot of animals and plants that depend on the tide pools will die off.