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Earth Evolution
Name: Mary
Status: Student
Age: 13
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: N/A
Question:
The Earth's circumference at the equator is greater than
at the poles because of its rotation. Will Earth continue to become more
and more epliptical, causing an even greater difference in gravity
between the poles and the equator? And if this does happen, will
evolution be able to keep up with our planet's changes?
Replies:
The earth will not become any more oblate unless its speed of rotation
increases. As it is, the difference in gravity or apparent gravity between
the poles and equator is inconsequential. Of much more interest to
organisms is the differentce in temperature between the poles and the
equator.
Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D.
Assistant Director
PG Research Foundation, Darien, Illinois
Mary,
The Earth is not likely to become more elliptical as
it is fairly rigid and becoming more so if we assume
that the Earth's core is very slowly cooling.
Any minor change in the shape of our globe would be
so small that our climate, animals and vegetation would
not be affected. Adaptation of species would not likely
occur (Evolution is a theory, not a proven fact, and has
come under great scrutiny lately, particularly because
of fossil finds in China; I personally find the theory
of Intelligent Design to be more plausible).
David Cook
Argonne National Laboratory
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Update: June 2012
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