Earth, though imperceptible, continually rotates. What if this rotation were to suddenly cease? According to James Zimbelman, a geologist, such a scenario is merely a hypothetical exercise. In reality, there's no natural force to halt Earth's rotation, a testament to its enduring spin since its formation.
When Earth Suddenly Stops Spinning
When you stroll on the equator's sunny beach, everything moves uniformly, creating an illusion of leisure. However, if Earth abruptly stops rotating, Newton's first law of inertia takes over. The law states that an object will stay at rest or continue moving at a steady speed in a straight line unless an unbalanced force acts on it.
That means that you, the sand, and your surroundings will continue to move eastward at 1,040 mph. The impact, whether on land or ocean, is likely fatal due to the immense force.
Joseph Levy, an Earth and environmental geosciences professor, explains that even water would experience sudden acceleration, causing significant sloshing before impact. Despite their apparent stability, trees and buildings are vulnerable.
Earth materials withstand compression but crumble under tension. Consequently, structures, despite their strength under normal conditions, could disintegrate as Earth's abrupt stop exerts overwhelming force.
On the other hand, survival chances increase near the poles, where rotational speed is lower. At 89.9 degrees latitude, approximately seven miles from the poles, individuals might stumble forward at walking speed. However, most inhabited areas are far from the poles, putting residents at risk of hurtling at high speeds.
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When Earth Stops Spinning Gradually
Levy clarified that in natural systems, abrupt halts in motion are uncommon. If the Earth were to gradually decelerate over days or weeks, it might avert immediate catastrophe, but the eventual stop would still pose significant problems.
As the Earth orbits the sun over a year, the distribution of day and night would constantly change. Rather than a regular 12-hour day, a "day" could last six months, subjecting one-half of the globe to continuous sunlight, leading to crop scorching and water evaporation.
The ensuing six-month-long night would bring darkness, causing a lack of light and warmth that could eliminate remaining plants and freeze water into ice sheets.
The altered sunlight distribution would disrupt weather patterns. On a rotating Earth, solar radiation primarily hits the equator, creating a predictable pattern of warm air rising over the equator and descending over the poles. However, with only half the planet receiving intense sunlight for extended periods, a secondary temperature gradient would complicate weather predictions.
Winds traversing the terminator-the boundary between day and night transport cold air from the dark side to the illuminated side, adding a layer of complexity to atmospheric dynamics.
Stopping Earth To Rotate Is Virtually Impossible
As per NASA, Earth's rotation is gradually slowing due to tidal braking caused by the moon's gravity, extending the length of a day by 2.3 milliseconds each century.
However, the moon's influence is insufficient to bring Earth to a complete stop due to its significantly larger size and greater angular momentum. Even if humanity were to harness Earth's rotational energy for power, it would take approximately 1 million years to bring the planet to a halt, making it virtually impossible for any celestial body to prompt a sudden stop in the Earth's rotation.
The likelihood of Earth's rotation coming to an abrupt halt is extremely low, requiring a cataclysmic event. Hence, the idea of the world stopping abruptly is far-fetched, ensuring that Earth's rotation remains relatively constant over time.
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