How would the seasons be different if Earth were inclined 90degrees instead of 23.5? 0 instead of 23.5?

Question

I don't quite understand this. CAn you help me/ Thanks!

Answer 1

Hi there,

The axial tilt of Uranus is 97.77 degrees which means it is basically on its side. This is the only planet in our solar system like this. So by studying this phenomenon on Uranus, we could see what would happen if earth were at 97 degrees (or 90 as you asked).

For part of its orbit, one pole faces directly at the sun and the other directly away. It appears that Uranus' extreme axial tilt also results in extreme seasonal variations in its weather.

The person below me is incorrect as the equator in Uranus is still the hottest part of the planet, and the poles the coldest, regardless of the fact that they point directly at the sun.

View my source link for more info.

Answer 2

We would have no definitive ice caps, as the every spot along the bias between what are now our poles would become an ice cap each year and six months later it would be the hottest zone on earth. This would mean that there would be nowhere for the earth's water to freeze and collect and be released though a slow state of sublimation. Instead it would raise the earth's water lever to one like the movie "waterworld". This would also change the currents in the ocean that create evenly distributed temperatures around the world.
The constantly changing temperature would also likely make a serious impact on the planets weather creating tremendous storms with the constantly changing of extreme temperatures.
This of course would have serious effects on our life since most of the habitable of the planet would be submerged. Vegetation would become more scarce, and probable not enough to accomplish homeostasis. After a long period of time, any survivor left would slowly, over millions of years, evolve into a more amphibian like species.
This is of course assuming that the human race could survive such a calamity. In which case another species would evolve into the superior species like dolphins or something.
This si one of the many reasons that our planet is so special. Without any of the countless things found on our planet that support life, especially our own, we wouldn't exist.

Answer 3

1. half the year will be a boiling hot summer and the other half a freezing cold cold dark, winter. There would be not enough time for an ice cap to form because the temperature fluctuations will be too wild, ranging from -150 in winter to 150 in summer at the poles.

2. the sun will appear to rise straight up and set straight down, but in extreme slow motion. The moon will be the same way. as will the stars.

3. areas close to the equator will have similar extreme temperature fluctuations as 1, but on a daily basis. half the day it'll be winter the other half will be summer.

4. this will no doubt cause a mass extinction.

5. if this happened suddenly all hell will break loose. water vapor will be pumped into the air from the steaming ice caps, fueling massive storms. the liqued core has a lot of inertia so it will tilt slower than the rest of Earth, or risist the angle change completly. this could cause instabilty causing volcanic eruptions and earthquakes all over the world.

Answer 4

The earth would be rotating pointing one pole to the sun at the start of the year and the other at the middle of the year.

It would be incredibly hot for half the year and at the pole there would be no night for six months. Why, because the sun is shining directly on it non stop. The other side of the world would be incredibly cold and there would be no day for six months. As the earth goes around the sun they would swap around.

On the equator it would get hot then cold twice a year and at the coldest point there would be no daylight, just dusk all day long.

Answer 5

The seasons are caused by the apparent 'to and fro' travel of Sun from Capricorn tropic to Cancer tropic across the equator due to inclination of Earth by 23.5 degrees. If this inclination were to be 90 degrees, the apparent movement of Sun would be from North pole to South pole via equator and South pole to North pole via equator. This would cause good lot of changes.
Firstly, as the Earth continues to rotate on its axis once every 24 hours, there would be no difference in this 24 hours. No 12 hours day and 12 hours night! There shall be no change in sunlight during this 24 hours. There shall be no rising of Sun in East and setting of Sun in West. But this 24 hours day (if you wish to call so) could be observed by the rising of Moon instead of Sun.
Secondly, the day and night would be 6 months long each. Rising of Sun would be in North and setting would be in South spreading for six months. This will cause a lot of change in heating and cooling of land and oceans. This change will cause severe seasons. The winds could be slower and clouds could be thicker (may not allow any sun light to reach), rains could be unimaginably severe. The worst is you will see Sunlight all the 24 hours unlike today for six months. But the seasons would be regular if severity is tolerable. Otherwise there could be permnant cloud formation preventing sunlight for ever reaching earth.
The star patterns seen in Northern hemisphere can't be seen in South and seen in Southern hemisphere can't be seen from North. Only those on the equator can see the whole stars of the sky.
Another feature, full moon to new moon would be 6 months not 15 days. Full Moon will not be full moon for the entire Earth. Full moon will keep shifting from Northpole to southpole during a year. If you start moving from northpole at Full moon time in Northern hemishere as you move towards southpole you would notice phasing out of moon as you proceed and lastly you would see new moon at Southpole. Eclipses could be in much regular intervels. One can see the all the sides of Moon by travelling from pole to pole.
The last, there might not be life on Earth surviving the seasonal extreemities.

Answer 6

all the things that hapen at the poles would happen around the equator but not as coldand the poles would become more like large desserts the earth would lose some of its land mass and it would be like really bad global warming.