What would happen to living things if the Earth rotated faster?

A study recently published in the journal Nature found that Mars’ rotation is accelerating by about four milliarcseconds per year, based on data obtained by the Insight probe.

Although the acceleration is very small and does not pose an immediate threat to the planet, it does cause a number of problems for neighboring planets. After all, our beloved Earth recorded a shorter day on June 29, 2022. completing a rotation around its own axis in 1.59 milliseconds less.

If this is a trend, What happens if the rotation process of our planet increases? We know that the development of life as we know it occurred in perfect synchrony with the speed of Earth’s rotation, creating a kind of planetary waltz with other bodies in the Solar System.

What if the Earth starts spinning faster?

The Earth’s approximate rotation speed at the equator, whose radius is 6,400 kilometers, is 1,675 kilometers per hour. As we approach the poles, this speed decreases until it reaches zero.

Since this movement is what causes days and nights to occur, doubling its speed would cause these cycles to accelerate even further.It was half as long; days and nights lasted about six hours. Moreover, if the speed of the Earth’s rotation increases, this will increase the centrifugal force and cause objects to become lighter at the equator and heavier at the poles.

The faster rotation of the planet will be responsible for changes in climate, as it will have effects on the circulation of winds, sea currents and air masses. The consequences of this can occur in the form of sudden changes in temperature, humidity and increased precipitation in various regions; This can affect biodiversity and agriculture.

How does the increase in the Earth’s rotation speed affect living things?

If the Earth begins to spin faster, faster rotations around its axis will immediately affect the biological rhythms of most living things that depend on sunlight to regulate their cycles of sleep, eating, reproduction, and activity in general. Climate change, along with stronger winds, will also have a negative impact on people’s health.

The centripetal force will create a stronger gravitational force between the Earth and the Moon, which will create an increase in absurd waves and tides that could flood entire coastal areas on the planet.

Although the potential effects of doubling Earth’s rotation rate are difficult to predict, they depend on a number of variables, such as the distribution of Earth’s mass and the strength of gravity. The effects are certain to be devastating for the planet’s inhabitants..

Did you like the content? So, follow other curiosities about planet Earth on TecMundo and also take the opportunity to explore the dam in China that contains so much water that it can affect the Earth’s rotation.