Namely, what would happen to people, animals and plants?
...and what would it be like if we lost only say, 10% of the magnetic field? Thanks for the answers!
2007-08-13 10:31:46 · 8 answers · asked by David D 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The solar wind would NOT blow away the Earth's atmosphere. Venus has a negligible magnetic field compared to the Earth (< 1/1000th as strong with some estimates at 1/100,000th), similar gravity, and is much closer to the sun, yet has a much thicker atmosphere.
The solar wind is extremely tenous, with a density at the distance of the earth of order 5 atoms/cubic centimeter. This compares to the sea level atmospheric density of ~5*10^19 atoms/cc.
Earth's magnetic field switches polarity every few million years. This is not an instantaneous event (any more than the Solar magentic field switching polarity) and the planet would be essentially fieldless for some years.
The Van Allen radiation belts would dissipate (they are essentally solar wind protons and electrons trapped in the magnetic field) and there would be no Aurora in the polar regions (aurora would become a global phenomenon, however would end up being a very faint planetwide glow rather than anything vivid like we see now). \
Without a magnetic field, there would be a higher radiation flux at the surface of the earth (but not intolerable) and a hotter, puffier ionosphere. Since the ionosphere establishes a boundry condition for the atmosphere of the planet, this could influence climate in some way, but I can't say how and am not sure if anyone has modeled this.
As for losing 10%, if you read the wiki article below on geo magentic field reversals you will see that the field has in fact dropped 15% over the past 150 years, so you are already living in a change of that magnitude!
2007-08-13 12:03:52 · answer #1 · answered by Mr. Quark 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the suns solar winds (and particles) would not be deflected by the field
Our atmosphere would be blown away by the winds, like dust in the wind, over a period of about 2 years.
temps would range from -387F at night to 253F during the day.
We'd end up with a planet like Mars.
(it has no field, like ours, anymore. They claim when it did have a field it was much like earth)
watch Earth's Invisible Shield
under documentaries
http://www.tv-links.co.uk/
our field is about to switch polarities. not a huge problem in the long run, but the switch could kill us all.
YO yoda. earth mag field does not power magnets. your fridge magnet is hundreds of times more power full as the earth, they just don't have the range.
2007-08-13 10:40:55 · answer #2 · answered by Mercury 2010 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
If the earth lost it's magnetic field, it wouldn't be an attractive place to live.
2007-08-13 10:39:11 · answer #3 · answered by C-Man 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If the Earth lost it magnetic field it would be because there is no more motion of the oceans and the seas.
2007-08-13 10:54:49 · answer #4 · answered by goring 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The solar wind would not be deflected by the magnetic field. It could then blow our atmosphere out into space. Our atmosphere would thin until it could not support life any more. This is what happened to Mars and it will happen here too but not any time soon.
2007-08-13 10:37:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Thats scary!
2007-08-13 10:39:59 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
All my refrigerator magents would fall to the floor?
2007-08-13 10:39:09 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Yeah, we'd die off.
2007-08-13 10:43:26 · answer #8 · answered by Rocket Scientist X 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋