Supposedly this is going to happen in 2012?! What will happen?
2006-12-29 05:49:34 · 13 answers · asked by joethemetaldude 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The same thing that happens every 2000 years or so. The Earth changes its axis all the time. And given that humanity survived the last time, it will do that again.
Do note that it doesn't happen overnight. Its a very lengthy process that in the end of it we'll end up having another point in the sky to signify North - other than Polaris (the North Star), which will no longer be where the northern axis points to.
2006-12-29 05:56:56 · answer #1 · answered by DNA-Groove 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, the "axis" isn't going to change in 2012 or any other time, unless we get hit by something really, really huge.
What it looks like it happening right now is a "flipping" of the magnetic polarity of our *magnetic* axis -- compasses will, at some point, point south instead of north. These kinds of flips have happened periodically throughout earth's history, and are not that big of a deal. The biggest danger is that while the "flip" is happening, our magnetic field (which shields us from cosmic rays, the solar wind, and other nasty space stuff) gets weaker during the changeover, which could possibly be a little dangerous.
Remember that the magnetic poles and the rotational poles are NOT the same -- never have been. From my location, for example, I have to move nearly 20 degrees east of where a compass points to find "true" north. Our axis of rotation isn't going to change, and with GPS so widely available, a flip in magnetic polarity isn't that big of a deal either :) Oh, and this is in the process of happening, but nobody knows if 2012 is when it's going to happen -- it takes a long time for the full "flip" to occur.
2006-12-29 06:32:48 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The climate could change a lot! The axis moved just a little bit a couple thousand years ago and changed the Sahara from a thriving area full of life into a desert.
About the the 2012 thing.... A lot of people are saying that the magnetic field of the Earth is going to change, the super volcano is going to erupt, massive earthquakes and tsunamis are going to take place, and tons of other horrible things are going to happen sometime in between 2010 and 2014. Some of these things have a couple scientific explanations, but most are ridiculous! I suggest that you just ignore them, or practice emergency drills in case all of these things actually happen.
-Seeker
2006-12-29 08:55:53 · answer #3 · answered by Seeker 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The earth's axis is tilted approximately 23 ranges and since the earth rotates around the solar the earth is the two tilted in the direction of or far off from the solar and that's what supplies us our seasons. The Axis has a mushy wobble to it yet that has little or no result on the season and neither does a mushy replace contained in the axis. no longer significant.
2016-12-18 21:15:04 · answer #4 · answered by ouelette 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is NOT going to happen in 2012. You are confusing this with the Mayan calendar that supposedly says the year 2012 us special.
If the axis did change, the seasons and weather would change.
2006-12-29 06:07:01 · answer #5 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
...and supposedly the world will end in 2012, according to the end of the Mayan calendar, anyway. This is highly unlikely, however.
The axis is not a real thing, it's an arbitrary line that defines the center of rotation for the earth. If you mean that the axis will remain in the same "place" but the tilt of it will change, then the seasons, as we know them, would change dramatically. HIghly unlikely....
If you mean what would happen if the actual location of the axis changed, that would have to be caused by a cataclysmic impact, and none of us would be around to worry about it anyway.
2006-12-29 05:54:36 · answer #6 · answered by ruadhdarragh 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The first part of your question could be interesting.
The second part is false. December 2012 is nothing more than the Mayan Calendar equivalent of our Y2k (remember when all the computers blew up and we all died?).
The Earth has a large mass and turns (relatively) rapidly around its axis. It has lots of rotational inertia. It would take quite a blow to change the axis of rotation.
However, the crust on which we live is floating on the mantle; the crust slips and, relative to our "fixed" points on the surface, the axis does change a little, almost continuously (It's actually our "fixed" reference that moves around).
2006-12-29 05:57:03 · answer #7 · answered by Raymond 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the Earth changed its axis, gravitational forces created by the movement of the continents, would tear our planet to pieces. Eventually, the oceans water would contact the hot inner material of our Earth (due to cracks opening up on its surface), and then the resulting explosions will tear our planet apart. Lets hope and pray the scientists and everybody else are wrong, but if they are correct, that will be the end of Earth and all life on it !
2006-12-30 21:06:58 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It already happened - when we got hit by the tsunami. The length of the day also changed by a small amount because of the mass that shifted.
2006-12-29 05:56:02 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think that everything would flip.... all the inertia and waves would stop and go in reverse......the currents and air flows could reverse.....which menas instead of wrm air going away from the equatoe...cold air would go closer..... which could mean .... possibly anoter ice age..or... just realy cold temperatures...... but when you think about the question you're asking scientifically....how could this happen??? unless...all the planets in our solar system "ganged up" on earth and pulled it with their gravitation forces and jacked up te axis...but...i highly doubt this will happen..i highly doubt this COULD happen
2006-12-29 11:46:09 · answer #10 · answered by lil miss agony 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋