What would happen if the earth stopped spinning?

Answer 1

Earth is rotating at a speed of about 1100 miles per hour. If our planet suddenly stopped rotating, the atmosphere would still be in motion at that speed. The atmosphere would be moving so fast it would literally sweep the land masses clear of anything not anchored to bedrock, this would mean rocks, soil, trees, buildings, people and animals. All would be swept up into the atmosphere.

If the Earth's rotation slowed down gradually over millions of years, and this is the most likely scenario, it would be a very different story. If the Earth slowed down to one rotation every year, called synchronous rotation, every area on Earth would be in either sunlight or darkness for one year. This would be similar to what the Moon goes through where for two weeks the front side of the Moon is illuminated by the Sun followed by the front side being in darkness for two weeks.

But what if the Earth stopped rotating completely? In that case, one half the Earth would be in daylight for half the year while the other side would be in darkness. The second half of the year it would be reversed. Temperature variations would be far more extreme then they are now. The temperature gradient would affect the wind circulation also. Air would move from the equator to the poles rather then in wind systems parallel to the equator as they are now.

Even stranger would be the change in the Sun's position in the sky. In the above scenario, Sun would just have a seasonal motion up and down the sky towards the south due to the orbit of the Earth and its axial tilt. You would see the elevation of the Sun increase or decrease in the sky just as we now see the elevation of the Sun change from a single point on the Earth due to the Earth's daily rotation.

As an example, say we live at 30 degrees North latitude. In the Summer, at a longitude where the Sun was exactly overhead, it would slide gradually to the horizon as Fall approached, but since the Sun has moved 90 degrees in its orbit, it would now be due west. As Winter approached, you would now be located on the dark side of the Earth. You would have to move to a longitude 180 degrees around the Earth to see the Sun 1/2 way up the sky because in the Winter, the Sun is 50 degrees south of its summer location in the sky.

There would be other effects of the Earth's rotation slowing also. The magnetic field of the Earth is generated by a dynamo effect that involves its rotation. If the Earth stopped rotating, the magnetic field would no longer be regenerated and it would decay away to some low, residual value due to the very small component which is 'fossilized' in its iron-rich rocks. There would be no more 'northern lights' and the Van Allen radiation belts would probably vanish, as would our protection from cosmic rays and other high-energy particles. Losing this protection would cause serious health issues.

Be glad for our Earthly rotation, without it we would be much worse off!

Answer 2

We'd still stay attached to the planet (this is because of gravity and nothing to do with the fact that it spins).

The most obvious thing is that there would be no more night and day! Or not as we know it, since if the Earth carried on orbiting the sun each part of the planet would have 6 months "day" and 6 months "night".

So plants would die, animals would die and we'd be pretty much on the way out in less than a year.

The weather would be severely affected (no more jet streams, no more weather systems moving across the Atlantic, no more Gulf stream, no more El Nino)

Answer 3

I think the ozone would disperse, the earth itself would float off into space as we're only orbiting the sun because we spin (I think tahts right)

If thats not right then one side would get like the Equator and the other like the polar icecaps so there would be only a thin area that humans could inhabit safely,

There wouldnt be seasons anymore, the moon would stay the same, although the tides might be affected. Other than that i think gravity might increase a little as weight will be more of a factror (Due to there no longer being a fling effect off the top of the surface [i.e place a pin on a ball and roll the ball, watch as the pin falls off])

Answer 4

There would be 6 months of sun in a side of the earth and 6 months of darkness in the other one, and then they would change.

Answer 5

One side of the world would be in eternal sunshine and the other dark. This would melt icecaps and cause drought. It would not however effect gravity. Gravity is caused by our circling the sun - not spinning on an axis. I think anyway. Good question.

Answer 6

The earth does not spin. every thing else is spinning around us

Answer 7

If this were possible (which it is not), then it would set off a chain of events that would very rapidly bring about the end of the Earth!!

Answer 8

Days and Nights would each be 6 months long. Days would be extremely hot and Nights would be extremely cold.

Answer 9

it would be pitch dark for some of us and broad day light for the rest of the planet.

Answer 10

one side would heat up and the other side would freeze.Ethier way all living things would die if that happened.