What would happen if Earth suddenly stopped spinning? - Livescience.com

So, what would happen if Earth were to abruptly stop rotating? ?

If the spinning were to stop, the angular momentum of every object on Earth would rip the surface apart, resulting in a really, really bad day.

"There is no natural force that would stop the Earth from spinning.

If the planet were to come to an abrupt halt, the angular momentum imparted to the air, water and even rocks along the equator would keep moving at this speed of 1,100 mph.

"One of the fundamentals of physics is the conservation of angular momentum," Zimbelman told Live Science?

"Once something is spinning, you have to exert the same force [in the opposite direction] to stop it from spinning."?

But all would not be not lost if the Earth were to stop spinning. .

According to Zimbelman, the bits and pieces that broke away from the surface would regain some spin as Earth and its remnants continued on their path around the sun.

The remnants that ended up in the far reaches of the atmosphere and outer space would be drawn to the surface by the planet's gravitational pull, and they would release energy upon impact.

According to Zimbelman, the rapid and destructive transition would also vaporize most of the water on the planet's surface.

Some of the planetary bits would be swept up by the moon's gravitational pull, bombarding the nearby satellite and creating countless more craters across its surface.