2006-10-04 20:00:24 · 5 answers · asked by taurus 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
It depends on how slowly it stopped spinning. If it were slow enough, nothing would really happen other than days being longer. If it slowed down quickly enough, the ocean would pour over onto land masses. Also, the building you are in would be ripped off of its foundation and all unfixed objects (including people) would be thrown forward faster than the speed of sound. It would be pretty bad.
2006-10-04 20:07:01 · answer #1 · answered by rmtzlr 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That whole slowing down thing is happening already. Just very slowly. The earth is slowing down and wobbling like a top just before it falls over. It is a toss up between the earth's rotation stopping or the Sun turning into a red giant as far as which calamity will destroy life on the planet. Right now due to the spinning one side gets heated up a bit by the Sun while the other cools a bit. If it were to stop and start going the other way, it would have to be an almost instantaneous stop and reversal. Ever just lay out in the Sun for say half an hour on a hot day? You'll start sweating in a very little while cause of all the Sun's energy being absorbed by your body. The side of earth exposed to the Sun when the earth stopped would be baked or fired or whatever term you want to use. Oceans would start to boil off creating funky weather systems which would start a worldwide ripple effect on everything on the planet. Even if it didn't destroy the side exposed by turning it into a desert, all that heat on one side would cause a life erasing event on the whole planet. Right now by spinning and with things like the jet stream and ocean currents the earth equalizes the Sun's heat so we can go do things like lay out and get a tan. Let's hope it keeps spinning for a while yet--I'm still working on my tan.
2006-10-05 03:17:45 · answer #2 · answered by quntmphys238 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just like a car making U turn? Counterclockwise rotation? Well, provided it has spinned down before turning, then there must be no strong impact during changing of the direction. As long as it changed the direction, should it also change the directions of life and make them reverse?
Way to go taurus!Hold on tight!
2006-10-05 03:10:03 · answer #3 · answered by ♥ lani s 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
during the pause when it was changing directions, i would have to say that the earth temperature facing the sun would be extraordinarily hot, and vice-versa on the side not facign the sun. When it resumed, the time, days and nights would be reversed. Seasons would change, the calendar would be totally useless lol
2006-10-05 13:03:05 · answer #4 · answered by Vita 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh my gosh! We'd all die! Aaaaargh!
2006-10-05 11:17:28 · answer #5 · answered by Amphibolite 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋