2007-10-17 08:52:35 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
The quick answer is because there is nothing special there, geographically speaking. No magnetic pole, no rotation pole. In fact if there wasn't a man-made convention for 0 longitude, there would be no way of determining an east or west pole.
BUT ... the earth is not actually an oblate spheroid. It is tri-axial, which means that there are 6 "poles". It is possible to determine the earth's equatorial principal moments of inertia, using gravitational maps. The "a" axis lies along the (14.93 deg W, 165.07 deg E) diameter, and the "b" axis lies perpendicular to it along the (75.07 deg E, 104.93 deg W) diameter.
So the "west pole" is at 14.93 deg W, and the "east" pole is at 165.07 deg E. I don't know what to call the other two poles, on the "b" axis.
2007-10-17 09:27:13 · answer #1 · answered by morningfoxnorth 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well we spin east to west and not north to south. So if u were to take a pole and stick it threw the earth. The hold the ends and spin it. Thats the way the earth rotates. The places where the pole enters and comes out would be the north and south poles. With that, the could be no east or west poles.
2007-10-17 15:59:25 · answer #2 · answered by m.charlee 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Because that's the equator, it is a never-ending circle. The North and South Poles are the northernmost and southernmost points on the Earth, as for eastern-western, no matter what way you go you are either always going one way or the other.
2007-10-17 15:57:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Good q! You see, T\he "axis" passes through the north and south pole....the earth spins on its axis......and it spins vertically...now if there was ans east and west pole, and an axis passing through it, te eart "Should" be spinning horizontally....which it s NOT......it spins only "Vertically" ..................and plus, "why" would we even "need" east weat poles? dont u think north and south aren't quite enough?
2007-10-17 16:00:07 · answer #4 · answered by hocuspocus 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Envision the "Pole" as going through the center of the earth, and that is what the earth rotates on.
The earth only rotates vertically, not horizontally.
2007-10-17 15:56:48 · answer #5 · answered by Nasubi 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
because we spin on an axis that runs north to south so those are the coldest points and east and west are in the middle which are closest to the sun so its hotter there, hence the equator, so you cant have ice caps there.
2007-10-17 15:57:08 · answer #6 · answered by klynbo2 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It is because of the vertical ends of the magnetic field.
2007-10-17 16:27:48 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋