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DISPLACING THE EARTH'S CRUST What would be the consequences of a global crustal shift? If a gentle push is exerted horizontally on the Earth's crust to During a pole shift, as trillions of tons of water and ice from the shove it in a given direction, and if that push is maintained steadi- south pole would rush north toward the equator in a wave of ly for a long time, it is known that the crust will be displaced over __ destruction thousands of feet high, and as trillions of tons of water the plastic and viscous lower layer. In this case, the crust will and ice from the north pole would sweep south toward the equa- move as a single unit—the whole crust at the same time. This tor, the forces of nature, loosed from their equilibrium, would idea has nothing to do with the much discussed theory of drifting rage wildly in search of a new equilibrium. Volcanoes would continents, where the continents drift separately in different direc- erupt, tidal waves would hurl themselves across many lands, glob- tions over billions of years. al hurricanes of incalculable size would roar around the globe, Hapgood made this point quite clearly: and earthquakes would rip open the Earth's surface. Nuclear Let us visualize briefly the consequences of a displacement of power plants in the path of this natural catastrophe would unleash the whole crustal shell of the Earth. First, there will be the uncontrollable quantities of radiation, creating ‘dead zones' of changes in latitude. Places on the Earth's surface will change enormous magnitude. their distances from the equator. Some will be shifted nearer the Clearly, only a few survivors—those out in space or at one or equator and others farther away. Points on the opposite sides of two of Hapgood's 'pivot points'—would remain alive to face the the Earth will move in opposite directions. For example, if New __ resulting climate changes. York should be moved 2,000 miles south, the Indian Ocean, diametrically TRIGGERING A POLE SHIFT opposite, would have to be shifted . A very simplified explanation of 2,000 miles north. Clearly, only a few survivors the trigger for a crustal slip can be All points on the Earth's surface those out in space or at one or made using the large amount of evi- will not move an equal distance, how - dence Hapgood presented. ever. To visualize this, the reader two of Hapgood's ‘pivot The Earth is a round ball that need only take a globe, mounted on its . ' . . spins in space and 'wobbles' as it oer ity points'—would remain alive to fo. stand, and set it in rotation. He will rotates. The southern hemisphere is see that while a point on its equator is face the resulting climate dominated by a continent of ice larg- moving fast, the points nearest the er than Europe. This ice sits atop poles are moving slowly. Ina given changes. and extends beyond the land it rests time, a point near the equator moves on, and is now [1989] over two much farther than one near the pole. miles high. The south polar ice So, in a displacement of the crust, mass is not equally distributed there is a meridian around the Earth that represents the direction around the pole; indeed, the largest part of the enormous weight of the movement, and points on this circle will be moved the far - _ of the ice mass is considerably to one side of the polar axis. thest. Two points, 90 degrees away from this line, will represent As the ice mass grows, it becomes heavier; and as it increases the ‘pivot points' of the movement. All other movements will be in weight, its massive accumulation aggravates the imbalance in displaced proportionally to their distances from this meridian. the Earth's wobble. The effect produced is similar to that Naturally, climatic changes will be more or less proportionate observed when heavy clothes get lumped together on one side of a to changes in latitude, and because areas on opposite sides of the _ rapidly spinning washing machine: the wobble increases. globe will be moving in opposite directions, some areas will be Year by year, the Earth's ice grows heavier until the tilt of the getting colder while others get hotter; some will be undergoing axis can no longer overcome the centrifugal force of the spinning radical changes of climate, some mild changes of climate, and ody. At this critical point, the polar ice masses are thrown with some no change at all. devastating speed toward the Earth's line of greatest spin: the N N $ S) Continental drift. Pole shift, according to Hapgood. changes. Continental drift. 46 - NEXUS face the resulting climate Pole shift, according to Hapgood. OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1997