The energy that comes from heat inside the earth is called ________ Energy. You may know it as “radiative heat transfer” or “thermal energy”, but it’s also the energy that underpins all life on Earth. In this blog post, we will explore the fascinating physics of ________ Energy and why it’s important to know about this energy source.
The Basics Of Thermal Energy
When you cook your food, you use thermal energy to transform the food’s fuel into heat. In the same way, the heat produced by the radioactive decay of u, Th, and K raets is transformed into useful energy by living organisms. When you consider how long these elements have been decaying since the Earth was created, it’s easy to see how much thermal energy has gone into maintaining a warm planet.
How Much Thermal Energy Is There In The Earth’s Crust?
The total amount of energy that is stored in the earth’s crust is called the “geothermal gradient”. The rate of change of this gradient with depth is called the “geothermal heat flow” and it is expressed in units of watts per meter squared (W/m2).
The total energy contained in the interior of our planet is estimated to be around 340 trillion gigawatts (GW) of wattage. If we were to compare this to the 13.7 billion years of radioactive decay that has taken place on Earth since its formation, then the amount of energy that has been absorbed by the planet would be equivalent to 100 billion nuclear power plants!
Considering how much thermal energy is stored in the earth’s crust, it’s clear that the planet has a tremendous capacity to produce heat.
Why Does The Earth’s Crust Receive So Much Thermal Energy?
The most obvious reason why the Earth’s crust receives so much thermal energy is because it is located on the surface. The temperature of the surface layers of the earth is raised by the sun’s heating during the day, which then radiated back into the planets’ interior. Another important factor is that the weight of the overlying rock and atmosphere decreases with depth. Therefore, the planet gets progressively less dense as you go deeper, which allows more thermal energy to be transmitted upwards. Also, conductive connections between the metal in the core and the surface are excellent for transferring heat.
Does The Earth Use All Of Its Thermal Energy?
The temperature of the Earth varies across the surface with a maximum of around 113 degrees Fahrenheit at the Equator and a minimum of 27 degrees Fahrenheit at the poles. The overall average surface temperature is around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This means that the earth is using only a small fraction of its thermal energy, as it would be expected that, as the planet warms, the thermal gradient will be greater than at present.
Why Is The Earth’s Temperature Rising?
It is well known that the average surface temperature of the Earth is rising. This is largely due to an increase in the amount of thermal energy that is being radiated from the planet. The Earth’s average surface temperature has risen by around 7 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1800s and this is expected to continue with a further rise of around 3 to 4 degrees occurring by mid-century.
What is responsible for this increase in thermal energy is the continued rise of global temperatures. Our atmosphere is now up to 85 percent more dense than it was before the industrial revolution, largely due to human emissions of CO2. This new atmosphere is acting as a greenhouse gas, trapping heat inside the planet. If current rates of emissions continue, then we can expect the temperature of the Earth to rise by around 7 degrees Fahrenheit by the year 2100.
With the exception of the tundra region in the far north, where the temperature remains below freezing even when the sun is shining brightly, every part of the planet is warmer than it was a few decades ago. This is because more and more thermal energy is being radiated into the atmosphere as a result of the ongoing absorption of CO2 by the oceans. If rising temperatures are a cause for concern, then this is certainly something to worry about.
Radiation Pressure Tries To Keep The Earth’s Crust Stable
The increase in the Earth’s surface temperature has also resulted in a significant redistribution of water molecules between the atmosphere and oceans and this has had an important effect on the planet’s climate. The redistribution of water molecules in the atmosphere increases the pressure on the atmosphere, which then tries to return to equilibrium by radiating more heat into space. This is a process called “radiation pressure” and it helps to stabilize the Earth’s temperature against long-term fluctuations caused by the solar cycle or random solar events such as sun spots. When the pressure exerted by radiation on the atmosphere is large enough, it will start to evacuate parts of the atmosphere and this causes large drops in barometric pressure, which we experience as severe weather events such as tornadoes, tropical storms, and hurricanes.
How Is The Earth’s Climate Changing?
Global temperatures are changing at an increasing rate and this is likely to continue for some time. The average surface temperature of the planet is increasing by around 7 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1800s. If this continues, then the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are likely to melt completely and this will result in sea levels rising by around 20 inches. Antarctica is particularly vulnerable as it is already very warm and it has very little sunlight reaching the surface. This makes it extremely difficult for the ice to stay in place.
Is The Increase In Thermal Energy Due To Global Warming A Bad Thing?
It is currently unknown what the long-term effects of all this thermal energy will be. However, it is clear that the rate of change is very fast and it is likely to continue for some time. This increased rate of change is likely to have significant effects on the world’s climate, making it warmer and drier. If this trend continues unabated, then it will likely result in dangerous climate change and an increase in the frequency of flooding and droughts.
It is important to remember that while the Earth’s surface temperature is rising, this does not necessarily mean that the planet is experiencing overall warming. When the temperature of the Earth changes, it undergoes a complicated process of redistributing heat from the poles to the equator and back again, resulting in temporary fluctuations of temperature. This is called the “climate fluctuation” and it has been observed to occur naturally and without any significant increase in global temperatures.
Future Studies
It is important to conduct further studies into the long-term effects of increased thermal energy on our planet. However, the effects are likely to be significant and, for now, it’s clear that we should take steps to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels and leave an environment-friendly legacy behind.