On Saturday, June 13, 2020 at 12:01:34 PM UTC-4, Alain Fournier wrote:

[. . . .]

Just a simple cable breaking could have a mostly unpredictable chaotic
outcome. One could put in some apparatus here and there on the cable to
keep it somewhat under control. If you roll in the cable where some
slack accumulates, you don't end up having wide speed differences for
different parts of the cable.

Part of the reason for having the Earth anchor being on a platform well out
in the ocean.

Still, the various outcomes could affect shipping and aviation over a wide
area.