My physics colleague here was just asking me "What would happen if the Earth rotated from East to West rather than West to East? Would it alter our climate? Would it change where the deserts are? Has anyone ever simulated this?"
I told him it was a great Phys-L question. What's your opinion?
My first thought is that it would have no large effect- global air currents, the Sahara, etc would still be where they are today...the Sun rising in the West rather than the East would have no large-scale effect. Am I wrong?
Have a great day!
david
David Ward
Professor of Physics
UNU# 3160
Dept. of Physics
Union University
1050 Union University Drive
Jackson, TN 38305-3697
office (731)661-5241
FAX (731)661-5175
dward@uu.edu
Well, its impossible for the Earth to rotate from West to East, seeing that the definition of East is the direction the Earth rotates toward, and the definition of West is the direction the Earth rotates from. Asking this question is sort of like asking what would happen if green was magenta and yellow was blue.