Earth's Interior and Magnetic Field

Geothermal Energy in Reykjavik

  • Reykjavik uses geothermal power to heat almost every home.
  • In winter, geothermal energy keeps streets and pavements ice-free.
  • Geothermal energy is described as an almost limitless free source of energy.

Earth's Internal Heat

  • Earth's machinery is driven by heat from its interior.
  • The heat originates far beneath the surface, within the planet itself.
  • The heat source lies beneath the crust and the mantle (source of volcanoes).
  • Nearly 2,000 miles down is the planet's generator: the outer core.

Earth's Outer Core

  • The outer core is a vast sphere made of hot metal.
  • Temperature ranges from 3,000 to 6,000 degrees Celsius.
  • The molten metal generates a magnetic field as the Earth spins around the iron-nickel core, similar to a generator.

Earth's Magnetic Field

  • The Earth's spin around its iron core is what generates the magnetic field.
  • The northern lights occur because of the earth's magnetic field interacting with solar particles.
  • The sun constantly emits billions of atomic particles.

Turtle Navigation and Magnetism

  • Marine creatures like turtles navigate vast distances using the Earth's magnetic field.
  • Scientist Ken Bowman studies how turtles use the magnetic field for navigation.
  • Loggerhead turtles at the University of North Carolina are used in experiments.
  • Turtles are fitted with cloth harnesses linked to a water tank.
  • An electric current creates a magnetic field around the tank.
  • Reversing the magnetic field causes the turtle to swim in the opposite direction.
  • Turtles possess magnetite crystals in their heads that help them perceive the magnetic field.
  • Turtles use the magnetic field for directional information and global positioning within the ocean.

Earth's Inner Core

  • The inner core is the Earth's final destination, located miles into the earth.
  • It is made of solid metal due to extreme pressure (4,000,000 times greater than on the surface).
  • The inner core's temperature reaches 6,000 degrees Celsius, similar to the surface of the sun.
  • Heat rises upwards from the inner core in vast blooms.
  • When they reach the Earth's crust, they fan out which pushes the Earth’s tectonic plates.
  • Then these plumes of heat cool and fall back to start the cycle all over again.
  • Many scientists believe this cycle will continue until all the continents are forced together as one supercontinent.
  • In 250 million years, Earth may have one giant supercontinent.

Heat Transfer within the Earth

  • Heat rises upwards from the inner core in vast blooms.
  • When they reach the Earth's crust, they fan out which pushes the Earth’s tectonic plates.
  • Then these plumes of heat cool and fall back to start the cycle all over again.

Additional Points

  • Magnetite present in our brains.
  • The guy would get out of the plane and he would step on the ground. He didn't wanna feel it with his bare feet because he felt like he was getting in tune with the location they landed in. And he said that he wouldn't get jet lag.

Gravity

  • Gravity is not a force but a bending of space-time.
  • Each object in space bends time and space, causing other objects to fall towards it (Einstein's theory of relativity).