has the earth ever tipped over?

Answer 1

As far as anyone knows, the earth has not tipped over, that is to say, the north pole hasn't become the south pole and vice versa.

However, there is some evidence that the north and south *magnetic* poles *have* changed places in the past. This discovery comes from the spread of the sea floor in the mid-Atlantic. As the continents around the Atlantic drift apart the sea floors well-up and cools. Doing so, the cold rock contains the magnetic orientation of the earth at the time it cools to a solid. Using a magnetometer, this orientation can be mapped, and doing so shows stripes across the sea floor. As one moves away from the central upwelling these stripes change in orientation from north to south indicating that the earth's magnetic field has changed from north to south.

While I am not a wikipedia fan, this article will get you started if you are at all interested.

HTH

Charles

Answer 2

There is some conjecture that the planetoid that collided with the early Earth and became the Moon significantly altered the tilt of the earth and it's speed and direction of spin. We'll never really know fer sure, but it's worth noting that there's only one planet in the solar system that isn't tilted very nearly at the same angle with respect to the sun as the Earth is.

Answer 3

Not since we "captured" our moon. The gravitational pulls of the earth and moon against one another keeps the earth's tilt on it's axis relatively constant (with the occasional "wobble"). However, if we had no moon, or a signifigantly smaller moon, the earth would not keep a constant axis of rotation, and more like "tumble" through space, which would have disastrous implications for climate, sea levels, seasons, etc. Mars does not have a moon large enough to hold it consistenly on an axis of rotation, and it has a tumbling rotation in space. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

With respect to the sun the earth wobbles every 24900 years. This means that the year flip flops every 12450 years, is that tipping over. Or do you mean that the polls change? This happens from time to time. (Forgive me I forget the numbers for this). The earth is in space so it has no top or bottom. Hope this helps your question.
B

Answer 5

Yes and no!
The axis woobles as already pointed out.
But the magnetic field tipped quite frequently, every other 1000 years or so.
You can see (not in person I fear) this on the mid-oceanic ridges where actual ocean floor is produced from cooling magma. Metals in this orientate themselves along the magnetic field when the magma gets solid. With changing magnetic field this results in a pattern where you have N-S and S-N oriented ocean floor.

Answer 6

Only when having one too many drinks!

Answer 7

Not recently

Answer 8

Not yet!