Logo

What would happen if the Earth stopped spinning for one minute?

Last Updated: 19.06.2025 11:06

What would happen if the Earth stopped spinning for one minute?

Does the whole planet (from core to atmosphere) stop spinning?

If Earth’s rotation is stopped by a collision, everyone dies. The planet is destroyed.

Does the rocky planet alone stop spinning?

'The Alters' is a genre-blending sci-fi survival ordeal about the horrors of being a project manager - Space

If only the atmosphere keeps going, Earth’s surface is blasted with winds moving at hundreds of miles per hour. Most people die.

If it stops by magic, does all the energy from Earth’s angular momentum also disappear by magic, or is it released as heat?

Bottom line: Depending on the underlying intent of the question, the answer could be anything from the destruction of the planet and every living thing, to a minor inconvenience that requires resetting our clocks.

What qualities do single women typically look for in a man? Is it a common preference for women to want a man who earns more than they do?

The answer depends entirely on how you interpret the question, which is why you see so many completely different responses.

If Earth’s rotation is stopped and all the angular momentum is released as heat, everyone dies.

Does it stop due to a massive collision, or does it stop by magic?

‘Everybody Loves Raymond’ Star Brad Garrett Says the Sitcom Will ‘Never’ Be Rebooted: ‘There Is No Show Without the Parents’ - Variety

Does the solid Earth + the oceans stop spinning?

“What would happen if the Earth stopped spinning for one minute?”

If the oceans keep going, Earth’s surface is scoured clean by tsunamis moving at hundreds of miles per hour. Nearly everyone dies.

This decades-old Gmail trick is still my favorite email management hack - Android Police

If the whole Earth stops by magic, with the angular momentum just vanishing and then reappearing, then the result is very minor. Every clock on Earth would need to be recalibrated against our satellites (unless they magically got paused as well). Siderial, solar, and atomic time would all be out of sync. Other than that, everybody would want to know: What the heck just happened? How did Earth magically stop and start again? But everybody is just fine.