stuff about earth
How much fresh water is stored in the Earth
More than two million cubic miles of fresh water is stored in the planet, nearly half of it within a half-mile of the surface.
What is the total water supply of the world?
The total water supply of the world is 326 million cubic miles (1 cubic mile of water equals more than 1 trillion gallons).
Can asteroids create islands?
Speculation has existed for decades that ancient asteroid impacts might create hot spots of volcanic activity, which could give rise to mountains that poke up through seas that didn’t used to be there. There’s no firm answer to this question, but a recent computer model suggested Hawaii might have been formed in this manner.
Can an earthquake cause a tsunami?
If the earthquake originates under the ocean, yes. Near the earthquake’s epicenter, the sea floor rises and falls, pushing all the water above it up and down. This motion produces a wave that travels outward in all directions. A tsunami can be massive but remain relatively low in height in deep water. Upon nearing the shore, it is forced up and can reach the height of tall buildings. One in 1964 was triggered in Alaska and swamped the small northern California town of Crescent City, moving train cars several blocks and killing several people there. Asteroids can cause tsunamis, too.
Will Earth always be here?
Astronomers know that over the next few billion years, the Sun will swell so large as to envelop Earth.
If we're still here, we'll probably fry and the planet will be vaporized. There's a chance, however, that the changing mass of the Sun will cause Earth to move into a more distant and pleasant orbit. One mathematical calculation shows it would be theoretically possible for humans to engineer such a move before it's too late
Which planet has more moons, Earth or Mars?
Mars has two satellites, Phobos and Deimos. The Earth has only one natural satellite, the Moon.
The outer planets have lots of moons, most of them found fairly recently and leading to the possibility that scientists might one day need to redefine what it means to be a moon.
What is the world’s largest island?
Greenland covers 840,000 square miles (2,176,000 square kilometers). Continents are typically defined as landmasses made of low-density rock that essentially float on the molten material below.
Is the state of Louisiana growing or shrinking?
Louisiana loses about 30 square miles (78 square kilometers) of land each year to coastal erosion, hurricanes, other natural and human causes plus subsidence (meaning sinking). Much of New Orleans actually sits 11 feet (3.4 meters) below sea level.
What’s the deepest place in the ocean?
The greatest known depth is 36,198 feet (6.9 miles or 11 kilometers) at the Mariana Trench, in the Pacific Ocean near Japan.
If you were to arrange Earth, the Moon and Mars like Matryoshka nesting dolls, how would they be ordered?
Mars would nest inside Earth and the Moon would fit neatly inside Mars. Earth is about twice as big as Mars, which is about twice as big as the Moon.
What is the world’s largest desert
The Sahara Desert in northern Africa is more than 23 times the size of Southern California’s Mojave Des
Where are most of Earth’s volcanoes?
The most prominent topographic feature on Earth is the immense volcanic mountain chain that encircles the planet beneath the sea -- the chain is more than 30,000 miles (48,000 kilometers) long and rises an average of 18,000 feet (5.5 kilometers) above the seafloor.
How much would seas rise if the Antarctic Ice Sheet melted?
The Antarctic Ice Sheet holds nearly 90 percent of the world’s ice and 70 percent of its fresh water. If the entire ice sheet were to melt, sea level would rise by nearly 220 feet, or the height of a 20-story building. Scientists know there's a melting trend underway. The United Nations has said that in a worst-case scenario – depending on how much global air temperatures increase – seas could jump 3 feet (1 meter) by 2100.
How much fresh water is stored in the Earth?
More than two million cubic miles of fresh water is stored in the planet, nearly half of it within a half-mile of the surface.
What are the most extreme locations in the United States, compass-wise?
This one is a bit tricky; three or even four of the answers may catch you off guard. The westernmost point is the aptly named West Point of Amatignak Island, Alaska. The northernmost point is Point Barrow, Alaska. The southernmost point is the southern tip of the island of Hawaii. The easternmost point is…….. Pochnoi Point at Semisopochnoi, Alaska. Huh? Look at a world map. The tip of the Aleutian Islands lies east of the 180-degree longitude line – the International Dateline – putting Pochnoi Point barely but officially in the Eastern Hemisphere
How old is Earth?
Our planet is more than 4.5 billion years old
Which volcano killed the most people?
The eruption of Tambora volcano in Indonesia in 1815 is estimated to have killed 90,000 people.
Most died from starvation after the eruption, though, because of widespread crop destruction, and from water contamination and disease.
Where is the world’s only equatorial glacier?
Mt. Cotopaxi in Ecuador supports the only glacier on the equator.
Where is the world’s highest waterfall?
The water of Angel Falls in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet (979 meters).
What is feldspar?
A better question might be, "Who but a geologists could love feldspar?" It happens to be the most common mineral in Earth's crust. But I couldn't find anything about it that most of us really need to know
What is the fastest surface wind ever recorded?
The fastest “regular” wind that's widely agreed upon was 231 mph (372 kph), recorded at Mount Washington, New Hampshire, on April 12, 1934. But during a May 1999 tornado in Oklahoma, researchers clocked the wind at 318 mph (513 kph). For comparison, Neptune's winds can rage to 900 mph (1,448 kph)
Are rivers alive?
Like all living creatures, rivers have a life span. They are born, grow in size, and they age.
They can even die during the span of geological time.
Can rocks float?
In a volcanic eruption, the violent separation of gas from lava produces a “frothy” rock called pumice, loaded with gas bubbles. Some of it can indeed float, geologists say.
Which is the longest river?
The Nile River in Africa is 4,160 miles (6,695 kilometers) long.
How are colors produced in fireworks?
Mineral elements taken from Earth provide the colors. Strontium yields deep reds, copper produces blue, sodium yields yellow, and iron filings and charcoal pieces produce gold sparks. Bright flashes and loud bangs come from aluminum powder.