What would happen if the rotation axis of the Earth changed ?
How the ding dang would something like this ever happen! The spin axis of Earth, and its spin energy are extremely robust and it would require a close encounter with another planet-sized body to torque the Earth into a substantially different orientation. Such and encounter would last a week for a deep encounter, and the tectonic upheavals would be tremendous, horrible, etc etc. The surface of the Earth would become molten as the tremendous tidal energies are dissipated. NO ONE would possibly survive it and the biosphere+atmosphere would be transfigured. Currently, the Earth is spinning about 1000 miles per hour at the equator. A LOT less towards the poles. An appreciable change in rotation direction would produce winds with speeds of thousands of miles per hour EVERYWHERE. Anything not anchored to bedrock would be torn out of the soil and mixed with a world-enveloping hurricane of activity. The Earth would remain engulfed in thick clouds of dirt, dust and debris for decades. I cannot
