Not really RPG related necessarily, not based on media, but I couldn't think of anywhere else to put this - so....

What if, through mechanisms unimportant, the entire Earth, north to south, were a uniform 40F or so? To add another layer, take away all air movement as well, starting from a "dead" stop, but everything else is the same (solar input, etc.).

Would weather patterns re-establish themselves? Any idea how long it might take? Socio-political implications? Etc.?

Does the Earth still rotate on its axis every 24 hours or so?

Yup, aside from temp, everything else is the same.

Has it been at 40F for a while, like long enough to melt the ice on both poles?

Because if so, it won't. Now that you've removed the ice from both poles, you've severely decreased the earth's albedo, which is basically how shiny the planet is from space because it reflects light. Ice is white and makes for high albedo. High albedo - receive less warmth from sun, keep ice, keep high albedo, etc.

Now that the earth has warmed enough to lose its ice, it will tend to stay warm since the lack of ice means it reflects less energy from the sun and absorbs more, thereby keeping more warmth and making it less likely there will be ice again.

Also you've destroyed all the oceanic currents.

Hmm.

Upon resuming rotation at the same speed and direction, and on the same axis, the Coriolis Effect would rapidly begin restoring both air and water currents.  Geographic features on both land and in the sea would begin to divert currents similarly to how they behave currently.

The curvature of the planet's surface and axial tilt would rapidly begin to differentiate general temperature bands -- the zone between the Tropics would be the warmest, and the poles would rapidly cool.  Re-establishment of the polar ice caps?  I couldn't honestly speak to the mechanics of that process.

Would everything go back to how it was?  Not likely -- certainly not exactly how it was -- and the previous ecosystems would be totally dicked.  You'd be looking at a massive reduction in life diversity.  Politically, there'd be massive upheaval due predominantly to disruption in the food chain.  Depending on what plant and animal species become extinct, I think you'd very possibly be looking at the extinction of the human race within a few generations.

Would life survive?  Yes, probably.  Our lovely ol' planet has been through some nasty shit in the last 4-5 billion years, and there've been repeated extinction events that have reduced biodiversity to as little as an estimated 10% of its previous levels, and yet life bounces back.  The changes are inevitably radical, though.  We humans, though?  I'm figuring we're goners in your scenario.

!i!

Quote from: Ian Absentia;355953Hmm.

Upon resuming rotation at the same speed and direction, and on the same axis, the Coriolis Effect would rapidly begin restoring both air and water currents.

Not quite. Wind and water currents both depend on there being places where warm water rises and cold water sinks. If water is of uniform warmth everywhere, it will not move, Coriolis effect or not.

The ecosystems ARE fucked, particularly since local climate depends in large part on the above mentioned oceanic currents. That's the reason why Southern Spain and New York are on the same lattitude, and yet Spain is much, much warmer than New York. If you cancel them out, they would have the same sort of climate, and that would be rather a shock.