When you stop and think about it, the fact that we’re here at all inhabiting this planet is kind of a miracle. The forces that had to come together perfectly to create the living conditions on Earth are truly incredible.
But did you ever stop to think about what would happen if the rotation of the Earth suddenly got faster? Hang on tight as we ponder some different things that could happen if we start to spin at a higher velocity.
Photo Credit: NASA
If the rotation of the Earth was sped up by one mile per hour, waters would rise a few inches near the equator but it would take a few years to notice the change. And some of the satellites that we have flying high above us would be out of whack and off-track.
Satellites that are set to geosynchronous orbit fly at the same speed as Earth’s rotation so they are always positioned above the same spot. If the Earth spun even a little bit faster, satellites that control TV broadcasting and military and intelligence communications and operations could be affected. Some satellites do carry fuel and could be adjusted, but some would probably have to be replaced.
And what would happen with the weather and natural disasters?
Let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty…
Photo Credit: Unsplash,Zoltan Tasi
If the Earth spun faster, hurricanes would be stronger because the rotation would push winds further eastward and would make the effects of hurricanes more severe as they would spin faster and have more energy in them.
We’d also have to worry about a major problem: the water around the equator would get deeper by a few inches in just a few days if the Earth was rotating 1 mph faster.
If it rotated at 100 mph faster, the equator would start to drown, and places like Northern Australia and islands near the equator would be underwater…and the water just keeps rising the faster the Earth spins.
But what about earthquakes…?
Photo Credit: Unsplash,Jose Antonio Gallego Vázquez
The equator currently spins at 1,037 miles per hour, but if it were to spin at about 24,000 miles per hour, the Earth’s crust would eventually shift, the poles would flatten, and there would be bulging in areas around the equator…and that would cause massive earthquakes that would be disastrous.
Let’s hope none of this happens anytime soon…we like the way the Earth spins just fine these days…
