The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km...

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The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water

Transcript of The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km...

Page 1: The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water.

The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet

Mass -- 6 x 1027 gm (6 x 1024 kg)

Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.)

Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm3

Surface -- 71% water

Page 2: The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water.

Interior

Crust

Mantle

Core

Densities – crust < 3 gm/cm3

-- mantle 3.5 gm/cm3 ?

Very dense core ~ 15 gm/cm3 Fe/Ni

Outer core – molten (5000-7000K)

Inner core – solid ~ 7000K

Rotating molten core produces magnetic field

Why ? – differentiation of elements

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Age Dating of Earth

Radioactive decay -- uranium, plutonium, thorium

U238 Pb206

Th232 Pb208 using known half-life

Rocks on Earth -- newly formed to ~ 3.5 - 4 x 109 yrs

Oldest Moon rocks – 4.5 – 4.6 x 109 yrs

Page 4: The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water.

Our Active Earth – Plate Tectonics or Continental Drift

Page 5: The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water.
Page 6: The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water.

Consequences– earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building

Page 7: The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water.

San Andreas Fault

Page 8: The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water.
Page 9: The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water.

Caused by convective currents in mantle transfers heat to crust

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The Earth at Night

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The Earth and Moon as a Double Planet

Mmoon/Mearth = 0.012 (1/80th)

Rmoon/Rearth = 0.27 (1/4th)

Largest in Solar System

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Origin of the Moon

Sister planet – by fission

Co-accretion – at same distance, same material

Capture – not dynamically feasible

Current theory – massive collision – computer modeling

Page 14: The Earth as a Terrestrial Planet Mass -- 6 x 10 27 gm (6 x 10 24 kg) Size -- diameter 12,756 km (eq.) Density – mean 5.5 gm/cm 3 Surface -- 71% water.

Lunar rocks and soil samples

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Age Dating Lunar rocks and soil samples

Mare – 3.8 x 109 yrs

Highlands – 4.3 – 4.6 x 109 yrs

What does this imply?