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Message Subject What would happen if the earth's tilt changed drastically?
Poster Handle Anonymous Coward
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By Tilt I'm assuming the relative axis difference from our north/south line being perpendicular to the Solar equatorial plane.

The Tilt directly impacts the seasons on Earth by changing how sunlight hits, is absorbed, and deflected by, the earth's surface. Any sudden change in the tilt (setting aside whatever aftereffects that would be felt by the cause of it) would have immediate and more long-term implications.

For the first few days after the change there would be a decrease/increase in temperature as the ground and water cools/heats. This could easily be survived (again save the causation).

In the long-term you'll see mass devastation to the ecosystem, the stopping of oceanic currents while they readjust to the new tilt's heating areas, and likely some earthquakes and other land mass changes (due to the rapid change in temperature). Jet Stream and other wind patterns would likely see a disassembly and eventual re-emergence after the oceanic currents come back together.

For example, if we were to get knocked onto one side, where only the South pole were to face the sun, you'd see Antartica become a desert, as there would be a great deal of light radiation hitting it, and tropical areas in Latitudes just north of there. What is now the equator would be much like either pole is now: a frozen or near frozen wasteland due to little or no sunlight reaching these areas. Anything north would be permafrosted and eventually snowcapped.

You can toy around with the axis angles and get different results, but sometimes the extreme helps answer the question.

The tilt has nothing to do with the magnetic field that I am aware of. If we changed suddenly then the magnetic North would still be where its at, as it would take the entire planet being shifted in order to change the tilt. I suppose we might have to change the name for it to the East by Northeast pole...but that's about all the worst I see happening as far as pole shifting in regards to tilt change.
 Quoting: Razgriz


that's the most well thought out response i've gotten yet. Thanks :)

But how would the magnetic field not be changed? Its already being affected, as the 'true north' has shifted recently.

I hadn't thought about ocean currents and the jet stream, you've provided me some good doom to think about. So if this scenario were to unfold, you don't know where to go until its happening would you?

And since the ocean currents would change, I'm assuming there would be massive flooding and emergance of new islands around the globe.

Interesting

popcorn
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 23414035


You're pretty much right as far as how survival would depend on knowing what happened when.

The mechanism that generates the magnetic field is the core. At least if you subscribe to the solid earth theory and not hollow earth as I'm sure someone would lob at me. The core spins at such and such a rate in a singluar direction and is made up of a solid or nearly solid metal allow I think iron nickel. Now the spinning of the core generates the field and at the strength needed to protect us from solar phenomenon.

Now if you are just changing the tilt, the core should still be functioning exactly as it was before. The two are separately operating systems, but do impact on each other to some extent. The magnetic shield protects from some of the nastier stuff the sun puts out, and the tilt helps geological processes to an extent by giving changing seasons instead of on/off summers and winters.

Now I will admit that this is very very very simplistic, and that I am wrong on taking the two apart as any scenario that changes the tilt will have so much force as to impact the rate or stability of the Earth's core, but in order to answer the OP's question the two had to be separated. We're talking an object the mass of the moon or more in order to get a really good change going in the tilt. Needless to say, the only safe place in the event of a tilt change, or rather the event that causes the shift change, is anywhere but Earth.
 
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