No Moon????

Question

What would the effect on Earth be if we suddenly had no moon?

Answer 1

Let's theorize a bit on this -- Let's assume that all of a sudden we had no moon where there was one. The moon gravitationally affects the earth and is most obvious to us through the ocean's tidal effect. Tides play an important part by influencing ocean currents that move cold water into warm and warm water into colder oceans. This effect causes an abundance of nutrients to be dispersed that contribute to the life cycle of larger organisms such as plankton, fishes and other sealife. Disruption of the tidal effect could have a significant impact on sealife and could result in mass extinctions of species that humans depend upon for food.

The ocean currents also play a significant role in the development of our climate and weather systems that contribute to the production of plants, most of which we humans depend upon for food, and oxygen production. Disrupt ocean currents and you subsequently disrupt the earth's climate and weather patterns possibly creating a super ice age or significant warming of the earth's atmosphere. Any change here could be manifested in mass extinction of most plant species or an evolution of plant species that may not contribute to human's existence.

Another effect of the moon's gravity is on the earth's molten core. Take away this effect and you stabilize the earth's core which in turn reduces tectonic activity and allows the core to cool and eventually solidify. Once this occurs, significant disruption of the earth's magnetic field results in the loss of protection from solar radiation and puts all life on earth at risk of severe radiation exposure and subsequent mass extinction of most life on earth.

So you see there are possible severe repercussions of losing our beloved moon.

Answer 2

Well the moon does a few things to our planet. If the moon would suddenly disappear *poof* then we would no longer have any tides, and that would make a lot of coastal waters stagnant the the mechanism of the waters cycling in and out would be removed. Many organisms time breeding, migration, and such things to the moon, and without it they would prolly go extinct as they could not co-ordinate when to migrate, or the season of "Lloove"

The moon also helps to stabilize the wobble of the earth's axis, so without the moon the earth would tumble more then our nice 23.4's that gives us our season. Without the seasons another ecological disaster would occur.

Lastly that I can think of is that the earth would drift furhter away from the sun, this would happen slowly over time and it would probaly end up closer to mars orbit, and over time there would be a possibility that we could collide with mars. But if that happened we might end up with another moon.

Right now the leading theory to the creation of the moon is that early in earth history we were hit with an planetesimal (a small proto planet there were many of these in the very young solar system) the size or mars and the moon formed by the debris that was ejected into orbit. The evidence for this lies in the fact that the moon has no metallic core. Unlike the earth with it's iron core the moon is silicates strait though. The theory is that when the two planets hit the the Iron core of the planetesimal smashed out of it's own planet and sank to the center of ours and merges with our core. It's simply density if you have a hunk of iron that large and you put in of the surface of the earth then it will sink to the center as the gravity pulls it down. It also help that the earth was a lot less solid and alot more liquid then it is now.

Now after the the impact, the debris ejected what didn't fall back to the surface or get shot out into space formed a ring around earth, yes like Saturn the earth probably had rings in it's past. Over very sort amount of time, probably less then a year, that ring gathered itself together and slowly formed the moon.

Answer 3

Tides would be much smaller. It'd be darker on nights where the Moon would've been above the horizon otherwise. And it's possible that the tilt of Earth's axis would change more than it does now, causing changes in Earth's seasons. (The Moon orbiting within a few degrees of Earth's equator holds Earth's axis in a fairly constant direction.)

Answer 4

I live in the UK and I would say that if we did not have a moon..we would have a high tide all the time and France would have low tides all the time or vice versa. The moon controls the tide. But in the USA Nasa will have some big problems.

Answer 5

No tides; pretty dark very night.

This website:

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn4786

reports the theory of a scientist who argues that without a moon, life would never have started on earth. Interesting theory; not widely accepted however.

Answer 6

The Earth's orbit would increase to somewhere out near Jupiter.
The centre of mass of the Earth/Moon (its barycentre) is only at 93million miles because of the pull of gravity on the combined mass of both.

Answer 7

the MOON gets 2 Inches further away from the Earth each year ,,,,,,,we better figure something out or at least our childens children better ~~~~

Answer 8

Newly weds will find it hard: Only honey, no moon.

Answer 9

just the tides will be much smaller and night sky will be more clear