What would happen to the weather if the Earth stopped rotating?

Question

You knew this question was coming, right?

bitsman12,
It will stop rotating when I pull the switch.

If the Earth stopped rotating, one side would not get hot because the Earth would still be rotating about the Sun. You can demonstrate this by taking a cell phone and orbit it around a can of Diet Pepsi without rotating the phone. (I happen to have these two items presntly in front of me). No one side of the phone is ever always facing the can. Care to modify any of your answers?

You know, this scenario sounds like the making of a good movie or book. Suppose some brainiac, not unlike myself, created an atomic particle collision that generated a huge magnetic force that stopped the rotation of the Earth. I like it. Hey, Hollywood, are you listening?

Answer 1

Even if the earth stops rotating,it will still be revolving around the sun and each area on the earth will be facing the sun once in a year.That is the sun will be over head once in a year in each place though at an angle from the horizon in some places.Thus one day and one night will approximately be six months each.Accordingly weather condition may also change which will be anybody's guess.

Answer 2

If the Earth stopped rotating completely, one side would get very hot and the other, very cold. Life would only be possible along the terminator between day and night. One day would be equal to one year, because the surface as viewed from the sun would change as the earth orbited.

Gravity would stay pretty much the same. The effect of the earth's rotation on the gravity between the equator and the poles is something like 0.5% of its total value.

There would be no coriolis force, which would mean no large rotating wind systems, like high and low pressure areas. A large Hadley Cell would develop, with warm air rising, flowing toward the cold hemisphere, sinking, and flowing back toward the warm side. The oceans would likely boil on the hot side and freeze on the cold side. Weather patterns would be totally different. You get the idea.

Answer 3

Good question. I would think the winds would become almost
nil, though not completely, as Earth would still have an orbit
around the Sun. The one side facing the Sun would heat up, especially at the Equator while the opposite side would freeze.
Sounds more like our Moon doesn't it? Deserts would form on
the hot side and ice poles on the other. Without winds and
moisture in the form of evaporation, clouds would not form and thus rain would be rare, if at all....so much for vegetation. Also,
if Earth's rotation stopped while one of the poles were facing the Sun, the cap would melt causing flooding. Either way, we're
screwed.

Answer 4

First of all, gravity has nothing to do with Earth's rotation. Giving a reference link for detailed information.

We will be not be STANDING anymore if that happens. Even if we are alive after the earth stops rotating life will be not easy at all.

We know why weathers occur. There will be constant weather on both of the earth's sides then. Sunlight always on the front (Hot) and nothing on the other side (Cold). This will be bad for every living being on earth. No human or animal can live without a proper day and night which happens due to rotation of the earth.
It will effect not only the weather but a lot of other things too. Take those animals for example which come out at night for hunting, they will have to be very efficient in order to catch their prey or die. A lot of other things including energy requirements.

Answer 5

The earths rotation doesnt cause gravity nor is it stopping the earth from flying into the sun. For starters we would have 6 month days, and that in itself would be enough to mess up our weather, yet alone climate. No Coriolis force means various atmospheric and oceanic circulations no are no longer sustainable, this again changes the weather and climate.

Answer 6

I will take U step by step.

1. Our side of the earth that is not facing the sun would get incredibly cold. The other side would be hot. Over 1 week later, some plants would freeze, then on the other side, the sun would be to hot to supportsome plants & would blind people.

2. About a month later ~ On the dark side of earth, almost all plantlife is frozen, some ponds & edges of streams will freeze. On the sunny side, almost all plantlife is dead. As a result, livestock fail. Imagine this side of the earth looking like Africa.

3. About 5 months later ~ Apperently, people are tring to find ways to live. Right now, it is to cold to support any croplife. Animals fail, and sreams are frozen. Now, major rivers are freezing & the edges of oceans. On the sunny side, major rivers & oceans are evaporating. It is to hot to even support humans.

4. About a year later ~ It is to cold to support life. Now, oceans & all bodies of water are frozen. Oxygen itself will freeze in the sky & fall to the ground like snow. On the otherside, All water is scarce. Everything in sight burns. The water in the oxygen evaporates in the sky, and the remaining hydrogen suffecates the remaining life.



And that is how we die!

Answer 7

It wouldn't matter, because we'd all be dead.

But, anyway, since the Earth stopped rotating, that additional force is gone, so the Earth would plummet into the sun, causing the weather to become insanely hot.

Evil indeed.

Answer 8

well if the earth stops rotating then we all will be thrown out of the earth by a tremondous force.. but in the first case wats make u think tat the earth will stop rotating

Answer 9

Why worry it is earth's rotation that gives us gravity, without it everything would simply float off in space and we would all die horribly in a vacuum - although I do not consdier there to be many ways to die nicely, except perhaps in bed and on the job.

Answer 10

in this case there wouldn't be coriolis force and the weather phenomena just move between equatot and poles and there wouldn't be any eastern or western flow