Week 5 Processes and Cycles on Earth If It Was Not Tilted Discussion

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In appoximately 250 words, please respond to the following question: Do you think processes/cycles on Earth would be different if the Earth were not tilted?

  • Describe ways in which the Earth would be effected if there was no tilt.
  • You may answer this forum by listing specific impacts on the spheres OR the various processes/cycles you reviewed during the week.

Peer Response 1

Ellen

There are many ways Earth would be effected if it had no tilt. As I was reading through the resources this week, I began to think of it like a “domino effect”. If the Earth was not tilted on its axis, the distance from the sun to the continents and poles would be constant and the angle in which the sun shone on each area would also be constant. This lack of variation in distance would effect the seasons. There would not be a “changing of the seasons”. Each area would have a consistent season that would be based on its distance from the sun. As Milutin Milankovitch explained in the article in our class resources, “less tilt means less severe seasons”. There would be different types of weather conditions in different locations on Earth, but those weather conditions in each area would not vary much. Areas at the equator would have a steady amount of sunlight and the poles would have less so. After reading about The Three Causes of Earth’s Spin Axis Drift, I began to consider glaciers and snow pack. Since the poles would be constantly cold, I think the glaciers and snow pack would continue to grow. Lack of sufficient energy from the sun for warmth, vitamin production in skin, livestock, and crops, would contribute to people migrating away from the poles and colder areas to a more hospitable environment for life, if they were ever able to sustain an existence there at all in the first place if Earth never rotated on a tilt. Sunlight triggers hormone release in the brain, so people living with limited exposure to the sun would be adversely affected. So, there are many ways people, crops, and livestock benefit and thrive because of the tilt of the Earth, and the changing seasons.

Peer Response 2

Fatima

Yes, I do believe that processes/cycles on Earth would be different if the Earth was not tilted on its axis. Without a tilt, Earth’s poles would always be perpendicular to the sun. The sun always would rise and set at the same time. Therefore, the horizons would receive 24 hours of sunlight per day. Not having a tilt would have a minor effect on the different temperatures across the globe. Temperatures would change accordingly to how close and far the earth is from the sun. The biggest difference would be the lack of Earth’s four seasons. The different seasons are what makes the earth a beautiful place to live and without them, it would be a tough task to enjoy life as it is today. Climate change is a really important topic that we often do not think about when it comes down to our daily routines. Without the tilt of the earth, we would be restrained too long winters, affecting our ability to survive. The tropics are great places for scientists to explore so that they can get a better grasp to a world without a tilt. Having seasons is crucial to the earth we live in today, not only for the overall beauty but also for economic stability and the survival for the human race.

https://earthsky.org/earth/can-you-explain-why-earth-has-four-seasons

https://www.livescience.com/18972-earth-seasons-tilt.html