Axial Tilt of Forgotten Realms?

[William Ronald]

So, if rotation keeps Toril going round and round, does the libido effect make it go up and down?

jgbrowning, you might want to check out some of the links in my Maps and other Campaign Resources thread (in my sig.) The Virtual Fantasy link for the Realms is quite good, as are many of the others.

 

[Kichwas]

yeah, just asking about a popular world to see if any information existed about it.

The problem here is that with FR it's all been back engineered into the setting afterwards - so any answer, even that in it's books- won't make sense to other parts of the setting.

Try something like Kalamar that started with questions like this.

If you ask the developer's these questions you'll get answers, assuming those answers aren't already in print (degree lines for example are printed on the Atlas).

If you want to know how to think about questions like this, consider joining the World Design mailing list:

http://www.nocturne.org/world/

 

[Vaxalon]

You all are thinking WAY too scientifically about all this.

 

[jgbrowning]

You all are thinking WAY too scientifically about all this.

Heh, don't worry about that. It's part of the Magical Society line, so magic's going to be very important. I've just always found it easier to variate from the norm after I know what the norm is. If it's anything like MMS:WE I"m going to have to know three times as much as I end up putting in the book.

I'll check out the world design link, arcady. Thanks!


joe b.

 

[Desdichado]

Not quite true ... Earth's axial tilt has, in fact, changed, and continues to do so. The Yugoslavian astronomer Milutin Milankovitch noticed a corollary between changing ratios of oxygen isotopes in deep sea cores and ice ages on the planet surface

That hypothesis does not seem have mainstream acceptance by the astronomical community at large. Richard Viso has some nice slides up on the web showing the data he gathered to suggest that Milankovich cycles don't even exist at all. Rather, they'd argue that the Earth's axial tilt is a relic of the oblique impact that created the moon, and the moon's gravitational influence has kept the axial tilt stable. Also, the effect of the cycles is believed by most to be minimal relative to other inputs such as continental positioning, if they do exist.

 

[WayneLigon]

Of course, neither the Great Glacier nor Anauroch have a 'natural' origin; Anauroch was created by mana draining spells and the fall of Netheril, while the Great Glacier was created by the wreck of a god's boat. In our own world, we have precedent for a cold desert (Mongolia) but parts of Anauroch are indeed hot. So, magic. Of a sort.

I've always wondered if the original Realms maps looked like what we got in the Grey Box?

 

[Desdichado]

In our own world, we have precedent for a cold desert (Mongolia)

And Antarctica.

 

[Argus Decimus Mokira]

Hey

one would think that would only make the planet hotter!

of course, the word i believe you were looking for is albedo.

Repeat 1000 times ...

"I will not mention words that rhyme with libido after watching Tomb Raider.
I will not mention words that rhyme with libido after watching Tomb Raider.
I will not ..."

Sorry, and thanks d4.


-Matt

 

[Argus Decimus Mokira]

Hey

That hypothesis does not seem have mainstream acceptance by the astronomical community at large. Richard Viso has some nice slides up on the web showing the data he gathered to suggest that Milankovich cycles don't even exist at all. Rather, they'd argue that the Earth's axial tilt is a relic of the oblique impact that created the moon, and the moon's gravitational influence has kept the axial tilt stable. Also, the effect of the cycles is believed by most to be minimal relative to other inputs such as continental positioning, if they do exist.

Maybe not the astronomical community, but the geological community certainly leans towards acceptance. The problem stems from oxygen isotope fluctuations in marine plankton sediments through time. The changes occur on a 100,000 year "schedule" with a number of complex variations. Using a Fouier analysis, two other periods of 41,000 and 26,000 have been recognized. I'll grant you that the actual causes for these variations may be questioned, but their very presence cannot be. Something has been regularly changing in these periods. I wonder if you wouldn't mind posting the link to the website - I'd be interested in seeing it. I completely agree that changes in orbital geometry, if they do exist, would indeed have less of a role on global climate than tectonic positioning.

Lastly, I'll just point out that lots of science is hypothetical ... the Big Bang, plate tectonics, the impacter responsible for the Moon (or any impacter, for that matter), the human impact on the Ozone layer, etc. Labeling the theory of Milankovitch cycles as hypothesis puts it in very good company.

Thanks
-Matt

EDIT:
Quite a bit of Torilian (sp?) geography cannot be explained with scientific standards - for example, the lack of a lake effect in Mulhorond ... it should rain there as much as it does in New England (and let me assure you that that can be quite a lot). However, it's not entirely unreasonable for us to try to sort out some things scientifically - if anything, its a fun exercise.

Someone has something on his mind ...

 

[Desdichado]

Lastly, I'll just point out that lots of science is hypothetical ... the Big Bang, plate tectonics, the impacter responsible for the Moon (or any impacter, for that matter), the human impact on the Ozone layer, etc. Labeling the theory of Milankovitch cycles as hypothesis puts it in very good company.

True, but in this case the hypothesis isn't even widely accepted as near as I can tell (from an amateur astronomer's point of view, that is) while the others are.

Link here