What are the effects of stopping the Earth's rotation on the Earth?

There are many things we take for granted, like we have teeth, we can use our neighbor's WiFi, and there is life on earth. The three things I've listed here are not relevant to this article, but that's not my point. What I'm trying to convey is that the smallest and most obvious things happening around us in every moment should not be taken for granted.

If everything on Earth suddenly stopped moving, it could mean the instant disappearance of life as we know it. More specifically, what if the Earth, constantly spinning on its axis, suddenly stopped spinning?

What if the Earth's rotation suddenly stopped?

First of all, rest assured that this won't happen for at least a few billion years. But, just out of curiosity, what if...?

Needless to say, the repercussions of such an incredible event, happening so suddenly, would lead to instant annihilation. According to NASA, a sudden stop in Earth's rotational motion would displace everything that wasn't firmly anchored to the bedrock. The reason for this is that even though the Earth's rotation has stopped, the atmosphere will continue to move at its original speed, which is 1770 kilometers per hour. So everything that is not firmly attached to the bedrock will be removed. Huge rocks, topsoil, buildings, vehicles, and even your beloved TV will all be uprooted and blown away by the atmosphere.

This is the real reason why many people believe in the importance of being "down to earth".

What if the rotation gradually slows down?

Another change in this global crisis is less dramatic. What if the Earth lost its ability to spin over a long period of time instead of suddenly? Assuming the different components of the ecosystem remain intact, the impact in this case would be very different from what it would have if it stopped abruptly.

day and night

First, the most fundamental characteristic of our lives - our division of existence into 24 hours "things" will be changed. It is known that it takes about 24 hours for the Earth to complete one rotation, which in turn causes every living thing on the planet to work day and night. It's pretty basic: as it rotates, the side of the Earth facing the sun is day and the side facing the sun is night. This cycle continues, forming for weeks, years and thousands of years. In fact, almost everything we do depends on this single event. We always know that, no matter what, there will be a "tomorrow" tomorrow!

But if the Earth stops rotating gradually, work done in one day could end up taking a year to complete. Countries facing the sun will experience 6 months of sunshine, while countries facing the sun in the north will experience 6 months of night. This is exactly what life is like today at the North and South Poles at different points of the year.

season

The sudden stop of the Earth's rotation certainly won't prevent the seasons from happening fully, but will have a marginal effect on how they behave. Currently, we experience a very smooth transition between seasons; but without the Earth's rotation, it would not be so comfortable, especially in the equatorial regions. Along the equator, cities will experience hot summers, while regions facing away from the sun face deadly winters. Undoubtedly, this will lead to dramatic changes in human life, and many will succumb to these extremes. Also, it will be more difficult for animals and other creatures, as they will have a hard time surviving in such conditions without any outside assistance (which they usually don't have).

result? Countless species around the world are rapidly going extinct.

so what? I'm going to live in the polar regions!

Unfortunately, this isn't great either.

Over the years of the development of human society, we have become so accustomed to the concept of oceans, oceans and their boundaries that we now take them for granted. But what if I told you that the line that marks the end of the oceans and the beginning of the land depends on the rotation of the earth?

In fact it is. You'll find that sea level is always in equilibrium with Earth's gravity (which pulls water toward the center of the Earth). In addition, due to the rotation of the Earth, an outward centrifugal force is created, causing the centrifugal force to "bulge" along the center of the planet. After rotating around its axis for millions of years, the Earth acquired this bulge along the equator, giving it the shape of a flattened sphere or ellipsoid (in technical terms).

No rotation means no centrifugal force, which would cause the ocean to start moving towards the poles, completely submerging the polar regions. In contrast, huge landmasses would appear along the Earth's equator, then be surrounded by two massive bodies of water on either side.

no magnetic field

Earth's magnetic field may also disappear due to the absence of rotational motion. Without a magnetic field, we would be vulnerable to a myriad of hazards (solar flares and other harmful radiation), and the mighty sun would choose to desert us.

The good news is that none of this will happen anytime soon. In fact, this will not happen in millions or even billions of years, you can rest assured!

That being said, it certainly taught us something very important...we should be more respectful of our schedules and be thankful for this lovely world that keeps going into tomorrow!