What if the moon disappears?

Arabia Weather - Do we really need the moon in our sky every night? You may think that the moon is just a light that illuminates dark nights, but in fact, the moon has an important role in our lives on Earth.

The Moon moves away from the Earth approximately 4 cm every year

When the Moon was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, it was about 16 times closer to the Earth, making it appear in the sky about 24 times larger than it is now. Today, the Moon is gradually moving away from the Earth at a rate of approximately 4 centimeters every year. This is due to the presence of a small percentage of Friction between the Earth and the tides causes the Earth's rotation to slow down and the Moon creeps away.

What would happen to the oceans if the moon disappeared?

If the Moon disappeared, Earth's oceans would have much smaller tides - about a third the size of what they are now. Tides play an important role in moving materials in the oceans, allowing coastal systems to thrive, and animals in these environments — such as crabs, mussels, sea stars, and snails — depend on tides to survive.

The Moon greatly affects tides, and its role is crucial to this phenomenon on Earth. Without the Moon, tidal volume would decrease by up to 75% . However, the tides will not disappear completely, because the Sun also plays an important role, although the Moon exerts a greater influence.

What will happen when the tidal phenomenon is lost?

Losing this phenomenon would threaten the lives of many marine organisms that depend on tides for their survival, such as crabs, mussels and sea snails. This will disrupt the diet of large marine organisms that depend on these organisms as a food source. This may in turn threaten the ecological balance on entire coasts and may cause mass extinctions.

In addition, one of the world's largest spawning phenomena occurs at the Great Reef each November after the full moonglow, as coral colonies release millions of eggs and sperm sacs across the reef simultaneously. Scientists believe that the full moon plays an important role in determining this time, but they do not know exactly how it occurs.

The effect of tides on the Earth's climate

Also, tidal movements contribute to the stability of the Earth's climate. Ocean currents are driven by tides, transporting warm water around the world and affecting the planet's overall climate. Temperatures would be more extreme at Earth's surface without the influence of these factors.

What would happen to animals if the moon disappeared?

When the Moon is full, it glows with an average light that outshines the brightest planet in the night sky, and that planet is Venus. Therefore, if the moon disappears, the night illumination will be lost and the lives of animals will be greatly affected.

The disappearance of the moon could cause a lot of confusion for animals around the world. Predators rely on darkness at night and little moonlight to hunt prey effectively. Without any lighting at night, predators would likely have difficulty finding prey. Just as with tides, this can cause a drastic change in the ecosystem and possibly lead to the extinction of some predators.

What would happen to the seasons if the moon disappeared?

The Earth is tilted on its axis at an angle of about 23.5 degrees, mainly due to the Moon's gravity. Therefore, it is the role of the Moon's gravity on Earth that keeps our planet stable. Without this role, the Earth's tilt could change dramatically and fluctuate between about 10 and 45 degrees.

Some experts believe that Jupiter may have a role in preventing the Earth's tilt from completely tilting and preventing it from spiraling out of control. However, even a small deviation of only about 10 degrees can result in major climate disturbances on the planet's surface.

Scientists suggest that changing the Earth's tilt by just 1-2 degrees in the past was enough to contribute to ice ages. Therefore, it is difficult to determine exactly the effect of changing the Earth's tilt by 10 degrees or even 45 degrees. But that would clearly be hugely detrimental to most life on Earth.

What will happen to the Earth's axis and the number of hours in a day?

The disappearing moon will also affect the Earth's movement around its axis and the number of hours available to us in a day. In the distant past, the Earth rotated on its axis in just 4 hours. But thanks to the influence of the Moon's gravity, the Earth's rotation slowed down until it reached 24 hours, which is the length of the day we live in today. If the Moon disappeared, the Earth's rotation speed around its axis would increase and the length of the day would decrease again.

Source:

• rmg
• aljazeera