Did you know that if the Earth were to stop spinning (if that were even possible), there would be several unusual (and dangerous) consequences?

The Earth rotates at nearly 1800 km/h at the equator. This rotation maintains a balance of many processes on Earth. If the Earth were to slow down and eventually stop rotating, which is likely only theoretically possible or millions of years in the future (the Earth once rotated in 21 hours), it would have major consequences.

5 months of night and a day lasting a year. The 24-hour day/night cycle of the Earth is caused by its rotation on its axis. As the Earth slows down, days and nights would become longer. At some point, the day/night cycle could last a week, leading to 2 to 3 days of darkness and 4 to 5 days of light during summer in the Netherlands. If the Earth were to completely stop rotating, there would be no more day/night cycle. Only the rotation around the sun would then affect the day/night rhythm, meaning that the cycle would last a year: 5 months of darkness, followed by 1 month of twilight, then 5 months of light, and another month of twilight.

Oceans would dry up. Gravity is strongest at the poles. The water in the oceans is held “in place” by the centrifugal force of the Earth’s rotation. If the Earth stopped spinning, the oceans would be pulled towards the poles, and a broad strip of ocean around the equator would dry up. The northern parts of America, Europe, and Asia would become submerged. Only large bays, like the Gulf of Mexico, which are enclosed by ridges, would retain water. A large portion of the Earth would become uninhabitable. The atmosphere would also be drawn towards the poles, making the broad strip around the equator a life-threatening zone unprotected by the atmosphere.

Breathing and deadly radiation With the atmosphere being drawn towards the poles, oxygen and protective layers would also move, making it impossible to breathe and leaving you unprotected from deadly solar radiation. The deceleration of the Earth’s rotation would also slow down the different layers of the Earth, creating significant friction in the Earth’s crust and resulting in many severe earthquakes, even in places where they are not usually found.