What If Earth Had an Equatorial Ridge

Saturnian moons Iapetus, Atlas, and Pan all have equatorial ridges. There's a few explanations as to why, but the theory behind why Iapetus has one is what intrigues me. (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equatorial_ridge_on_Iapetus)

Apparently, Iapetus could have once had its own ring system, and that over time debris from this ring system accumulated on its equator. The resulting equatorial ridge can get up to 20 kilometers high. That's slightly over twice the height of Everest.

With all the questions I've seen about Earth having its own ring system, I've been thinking up this scenario: Suppose Earth once did have its own ring system, then, like Iapetus, lost the rings and over time gained an equatorial ridge.

Could this scenario even happen with Earth's gravity and atmosphere? How long could this ridge last in Earth-like conditions before the forces of wind and erosion eat it away? Are there any unique changes that would occur to Earth because of having essentially a huge mountain range circling the Equator?

posted about 7 years ago

Lot-Of-Malarkey‭

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