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Internal Heat Of The Earth

Launcher poly Australia
Status Vaulted: Apr 18, 2012 03:38

Labels

the Earth mass/energy equivalence internal heat loss of mass

Description

The amount of heat coming to the surface of the Earth through internal processes is known (A). The surface area of the Earth is also known (B). Use these two figures to calculate the yearly energy production (C). Then assume all this energy originates from nuclear processes (as with radioactive decay), and calculate the mass equivalent (D) using the Einstein equation E=mc2 (E).

Results wanted are (1) annual loss of mass of the Earth (=D), and (2) loss of mass over 1 billion years (assuming loss has been constant over this time) as a percentage of Earth's current mass (F).

Values are supplied for all quantities involved, the results are wanted for consistency checks and independent source quotation. See attached file ZBL143X.pdf for values to be used.

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Loss of Mass by the Earth through Nuclear Energy Conversion.

The majority of the heat rising to the surface of the Earth from within (the 'geothermal flux') is believed to ultimately originate from nuclear processes. One such process is the decay of radioactive atoms.

When such nuclear processes occur, mass is converted into energy. The attached calculations show that to produce the observed heat flow from nuclear conversion, the Earth must be losing over 14 tonnes of mass each year.

Even so, this loss is extremely tiny compared to the mass of the Earth. If the rate of loss has been the same over the last billion years, this loss amounts to less than one-billionth of one percent.

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