The piece I am going to paste below(With some editing)
Is only to stimulate debate.After reading it I'm sure you'll have your own opinions on what would happen.


1) Due to the enormously large internal friction between the crust
and the nucleus of the Earth, the planet will stop, i.e. will
stop its rotation around its axis. Thus, in one side of the globe
will be a long day and another side of the globe will experience a
long night. This will continue around 6-7 days. The map below shows
the day-night distribution:

(2) When the Earth stops its rotation, the waters (oceans and seas)
will continue their motion due to the inertia. This will produce
the inundation of large territories during only few hours. According
to the ZetaTalk (www.zetatalk.com), it is advised to be removed
at least 160 km from the nearest coast and to be at least 60 m
above the sea-level.

(3) The atmosphere also is free to move, so during the rotation
stoppage, it will continue to move producing strong winds, storms,
hurricanes, etc. Suggestion: do not stay in an open place.

The pole shift or, better to say, the breaking between the Earth nucleus
and the crust will release a huge energy, which will produce catastrophes
without precedent in the history of the humanity:

(4) The movement of tectonic plates leads to: (i) distancing between the
Europe and the Americas, (ii) size levelling of Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, (iii) the tectonic plate sustaining India moves below the
Himalayas, i.e. India disappear, (iv) the same happens with about
2/3 of Australia, disappears its west part, (v) emerging of a new
continent in the south part of Atlantic ocean.

(5) The earthquakes reach the magnitude "15" but Richter scale in some
parts of the planet, in the other parts the largest earthquakes do
not exceed 9 to 12 by the Richter scale. Such huge earthquakes
continue for some hours and later on for some 2-3 weeks "normal
earthquakes" (below 8.0) are felt.

(6) Practically all volcanoes erupt, new volcanoes in some places might
appear. New geological faults close to volcanoes are formed.

(7) Due to the volcanic eruption, the volcanic ash will cover sky for the
next two years after the upheavals. The acid rains are expected for
some 3-4 months worldwide and for few years near the active volcanoes
after the pole shift. The humidity will augment due to the rapid
evaporation of water from the seas and oceans.

(8) the structures of establishment (government, different institutions,
police, borders, banks, money, etc.) will disappear. Each survivor
will try to get out of the difficult situation by its own means.

(9) Will appear and increase rapidly hunger, illnesses, struggle for the
survival, cannibalism, etc.

OK,There you have it.As I stated above I have edited it.
I wonder what you all think would be the effects to us and our planet of a pole shift.

I look forward to reading your theories.

[Edited on 6-6-2003 by John bull 1]

Basically everything written in Revelations.

I should say that I don't agree with it.

It seems to be based on alot of dodgy science.
(eg Earth rotation stops)

But I hope it will provoke some to tell us their theories.

[Edited on 6-6-2003 by Illmatic67]

...and after it comes to a screeching halt, the planet just starts rotating again. Zero to Mach1-something in an instant. Probably done by smurfs or everyone standing and facing one direction and suddenly starting to run.

I'm sure you can all picture that one. Looks like Wylie E Coyote just as the giant sling launches him... head in one place, body about 2 miles away.

[Edited on 6-6-2003 by Byrd]

Thanks Byrd that gave me a good few laughs.
I edited out all references to the effects of planet X.Lucky I did.

But the point was to stimulate serious theories about the effects on us and the planet of a flip in the magnetic poles.

A series of samples within a six foot section of a solidified lava flow show that in the time it had taken to solidify(48hrs at most)the pole had shifted eratically before finally flipping.

This would all happen at a time when our magnetic field was near it's lowest.

The question I was hoping to get answers on is What do members think the effects on mankind would be?

Well JB, you did find an interesting article.... Its wrong but it is interesting!

First of all, if the planet has been rotating for over 4.6 billion years, why would it suddenly stop rotating? Better yet, how is it then going to start up again?? In a different direction?

The ONLY plausible explaination for such actions is if the earth were impacted by a MASSIVE body (so massive that any other events subsequent to the impact would be a non-event do to lack of surviving population).

Byrd is correct, magnetic pole reversals happen, with a good deal of regularity (speaking in terms of geologic time scales). However, even these do not occur suddenly... they regularly take hundreds of years to complete, with no serious catastrophic results. The magnetic field fades to near zero, and then comes back up in the opposite orientation. (Current data suggests that this is in fact happening as we speak... Better hurry, by the time you are 80 years old, there might be a 5% change in the overall geomagnetic field!)

A mag 15 earthquake? Well, that would be something to observe (from orbit) I guess. We have yet to record a mag 9 anywhere on the planet yet (although some events have been estimated at that range, including the New Madrid quakes in 1811-1812).

A magnitude 15 quake would shatter virtually every bedrock unit on the planet, likely shattering the base continental and even oceanic crust. Essentially, the entire outer crust of the planet would have the structural integrity of a safety glass windshield after being slammed with a 2x4 (you know, the layer of polymer inside that holds the pieces togther).

New geological faults close to volcanoes are formed.

Oh I like that one. That would be the least of your worries.

7) Due to the volcanic eruption, the volcanic ash will cover sky for the next two years after the upheavals. The acid rains are expected for some 3-4 months worldwide and for few years near the active volcanoes after the pole shift.

Why do they massively overestimate somethings and massively underestimate other things? (The easy stuff for that matter).

Assuming even 1/10 of the activity that they are suggesting, if every volcano was to let go, there would be FAR more ash in the atmosphere for a much longer time that this. Etna, about 100,000 years ago (approximate) released over 15 cubic kilometers of material into the atmosphere in a very short time span.

The chixuclub impact crater caused a planet wide ashfall that lasted an estimated 200-500 years. I would estimate (guesstimate) that chixulub would be at least an order of magnitude less than what is being described here, even if scaled back to something realistic.

Oh, and they expect survivors after all this?

Well, I guess they are referring to the ISS and whoever is on the moonbases.

But the point was to stimulate serious theories about the effects on us and the planet of a flip in the magnetic poles.

Birds and Boy Scouts get lost. My GPS doesn't function to tell me where I am because it doesn't have a good north reference.

Byrd gets annoyed. Cataclysms to follow, no doubt. Planets will probably fall out of the sky.

A series of samples within a six foot section of a solidified lava flow show that in the time it had taken to solidify(48hrs at most)the pole had shifted eratically before finally flipping.

Yup. Nothing, however, affected the local flora, fauna, lunar tides, or the impact of comets on the Earth.

The question I was hoping to get answers on is What do members think the effects on mankind would be?

People selling books on PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THE POLE SHIFT DISASTER!!!! will have to take up a new line of work. I suggest writing scripts for Duck Dodgers In The 23 1/2 Century series.

[Edited on 6-6-2003 by Byrd]

Nothing, however, affected the local flora, fauna, lunar tides, or the impact of comets on the Earth. Posted by Byrd

Just to point out, comet impacts can occur quite well without regard to the magnetic pole orientation, or presence.

Originally posted by dragonrider
Nothing, however, affected the local flora, fauna, lunar tides, or the impact of comets on the Earth. Posted by Byrd

Just to point out, comet impacts can occur quite well without regard to the magnetic pole orientation, or presence.

I knew that. It also wouldn't affect the lunar tides.

...I assumed most folks would know that, too. Ya think I oughta mark this stuff with some sorta sarcasm tag????

Well, I guess that there referring to the ISS and whoever is on the Moon bases

Don't forget about the people on Mars

naw. the atlantic ocean formed what about 200 million years ago? check this out. basalt ya, it's igneous rock spread all over out from the mid atlantic ridge. don't remember how exactly this worked, but in earth science, we're studyin geologic stuff. apparently, the basalt layering indicates several pole changes. the polarity man. that magnetism stuff. all in rows from the MAR, not to mention the pattern is the same on eash side of the range. a reverse in polarity signifies a pole shift. it's happened a lot, and no it won't stop our rotation, it won't cause all the volcanoes to erupt at once, and no, taco sauce like brimstone won't rain from the heavans. yall read too much, yall don't test enough.

a pole switch occurs every few million years, while I don't know what causes it, i do know it isn't a catastrophic, yet a cyclic event with no incredibly devastating effects on us. if it were to kill us all, i wouldn't hear about the chances of it on cnn. please people relax.

There actually is a very real killer that would emerge.

As the magnetic field around the earth weekens,the degree that it deflects harmful light is lessened.
Cases of skin cancer would be almost certain to increase.

On the bright side the Auroa Borealis would be seen more widely a could even become a common place in phenomena our night skies.

[Edited on 7-6-2003 by John bull 1]

As the magnetic field around the earth weekens,the degree that it deflects harmful light is lessened. Posted by John Bull

You are describing the UV or ultraviolet radiation. UV does in fact cause skin cancer, and it is in fact increasing, but has nothing to do with the magnetic field.

UV is blocked by Ozone, or ionized oxygen (O3), IE, the ozone layer. The ozone layer is caused by the UV radiation itself ionizing the upper layer of the stratosphere forming the ozone, which is opaque to UV. UV exposure is increasing, with a corresponding increase in skin cancer, but again, it is independent of the magnetic field, and is caused by human pollution.

Now, ionized particle streams, such as the solar wind, CMEs, ect, WILL be affected by the magnetic field, which currently acts to deflect such material around the planet.

The great fear is that when the magnetic field decreases, these ionized particles will rain down and kill all life.

According to the geologic record, that just hasnt ever happened.

There are litterally hundreds if not thousands of confirmed magnetic pole flips throughout the geologic record, and it has NOT been correlated with any mass extinction events.

Although you are correct, Aurora events will be visible at middle lattitudes more than they are now.

And, as I mentioned, it takes hundreds of years for a flip to occur and complete. By the time you die of old age, there MAY be a 3-5% decrease in the magnetic field.

A flip in the magnetic field appears to be a part of a larger cycle.
The magnetic field weakens,the magnetic field flips,the magnetic field strengthens, before reaching a peak and beginning to fall once more.

Recent computer models show that the weakeng of the magnetic field is accompanied by an increase of magnetic anomalies around the Earth.

Our magnetic field is weakening at present but if it continues to weaken at the same rate it will not reach the levels at which previous flips are thought to have occured for another 200 years.

Currently,the depletion of the ozone layer is thought to be the main cause in the increase of cases of skin cancer ,though increased awareness of the condition may also be a factor.
As the magnetic field continues to weaken the ability it has to deflect harmful light rays is reduced and as a consequence we will all be even more suseptable to skin cancer and cataracts.

JB, the magnetic field of the Earth couldn't possibly affect light rays.

In order for a magnetic field to affect something, the something that it affects HAS to have a positive or a negative charge. Earth's magnetic field is very very weak, even at the magnetic poles (iron nail don't fall out of things at the poles.)

If light were bent by magnetic fields, you'd see image distortions around car crushers (where cranes have huge magnets to lift cars) and other places like hydroelectric plants. There'd be warnings around areas of high magnetism that Things Aren't Where You Think They Are. You'd see image distortions around bar magnets and when you looked at old hard drives (which have tremendously powerful magnets), your visual field would easily note the warping of light.

You'd also see all the light collecting over one of the poles and avoiding the other, even when the sun should be overhead.

Doesn't happen.

The magnetic poles going to zero aren't going to affect cosmic rays or any other type of light energy.

Another point against the earth stopping rotating by itself is the fact that an external force would have to be exerted on the object in order for it to have effect. The effect described by the original author(sorry, forgot to read your name) is much like putting a huge fan on the back of a sailing ship and then actually expecting to break the world speed record for sailing boats. The code word is "Conservation of momentum and thus also angular momentum.