Re:The climate of a retrograde rotating Earth (2018)
by gus_massa on Friday October 18, 2019 @09:39PM
(#21296297)
The direction of the Trade Winds [1] is determined by the rotation of the Earth due to the Coriolis effect. They would reverse, and I guess it would cause more humidity in West Africa and less humidity in East Africa.
The effect of the big mountain range is more difficult to estimate (without a good simulation). In South America the Andes cover all the West Cost. In the South part the winds go mostly to the East, so it rains a lot in the small west past of the Andes, and there is a semi desert part in the big part to the ease of the Andes. In the North part of South America, the winds go mostly to the West, so you get a big humid part in the Amazon. If the winds are reversed, the semi desert part and the rainforest part somewhat exchange positions.
I don't understand the sea currents enough for handwaving, but a big change in the Gulf Stream [2] would make the United Kingdom much cooler.
The effect of the big mountain range is more difficult to estimate (without a good simulation). In South America the Andes cover all the West Cost. In the South part the winds go mostly to the East, so it rains a lot in the small west past of the Andes, and there is a semi desert part in the big part to the ease of the Andes. In the North part of South America, the winds go mostly to the West, so you get a big humid part in the Amazon. If the winds are reversed, the semi desert part and the rainforest part somewhat exchange positions.
I don't understand the sea currents enough for handwaving, but a big change in the Gulf Stream [2] would make the United Kingdom much cooler.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_winds
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_Stream