The Earth's interior may be getting colder much faster than we think. The latest research shows that the Earth's interior is cooling faster than expected, which will lead to a weakening of the Earth's geological activity, the disappearance of the Earth's magnetic field, and even the extinction of life on Earth.
The Earth's interior is a huge source of heat, which is the original heat left behind when the Earth was formed, as well as the heat produced by the decay of radioactive elements in the Earth's core. This heat is constantly flowing outward from the Earth's core, through the mantle and crust, and finally to the surface.
This process is the Earth's heat loss, which is the story of the Earth's evolution and the driving force of the Earth's dynamic activity. The heat loss of the earth is closely related to the earth's plate tectonics, volcanoes**, the earth's magnetic field, etc., which are all indispensable factors in our lives.
To understand how quickly the Earth is losing heat, we need to look at the interface between the Earth's core and the mantle, which is a very important region because of the large temperature gradient and heat flow. The temperature of the Earth's core is about 6,000 degrees Celsius, while the temperature of the mantle is about 2,000 degrees Celsius, creating a huge temperature difference that allows heat to be transferred from the core to the mantle.
The interface between the Earth's core and mantle is mainly made up of a material called Brinellite, a mafic-rich silicate mineral that occupies 38% of the Earth's volume. The thermal conductivity of Brinellan rock is a key factor in determining the rate of heat loss from the Earth's core, the higher the thermal conductivity, the faster the heat loss, and the lower the thermal conductivity, the slower the heat loss.
How high is the thermal conductivity of Brinellan? We cannot directly observe the interface between the Earth's core and the mantle, nor can we directly measure the thermal conductivity of Brinellan. Scientists can only simulate the situation in this area through experiments and theories, and then deduce the thermal conductivity of brunellan.
Over the past few decades, scientists have seen large differences in estimates of the thermal conductivity of Brinellan, ranging from 20 to 120 watts of Kelvin in the Earth's core, leading to uncertainty about the rate of heat loss from the Earth's core.
Recently, a group of scientists from ETH Zurich used a new method to provide a more accurate value for the thermal conductivity of Brinellan. In the lab, they used a laser to heat a synthetic material similar to brunellite, and then used a technique called femtosecond laser scintillation to measure the material's temperature changes and heat conduction.
They found that the thermal conductivity of the synthetic material was 60 watts of Mi Kelvin, which was 15 times. They believe that this value is closer to the thermal conductivity of real Brinellan, because their experimental conditions are more in line with the pressure and temperature of the interface between the Earth's core and mantle. Their findings were published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, which attracted widespread attention and discussion.
In this study, if the thermal conductivity of Brinella is really higher than previously thought, then it means that the heat from the Earth's core is more easily transferred to the mantle, the temperature of the mantle will be higher, and the flow of the mantle will be faster.
This accelerates the cooling rate of the Earth's interior, which weakens the Earth's geological activity, such as plate tectonics and volcanoes**. The Earth's geological activities are important factors in maintaining the diversity of the Earth's surface, and they affect the topography, climate, ecology, etc. If the Earth's geological activity weakens, the Earth's surface may become flatter, monotonous, and drier.
What's more, the cooling of the Earth's core affects the formation and maintenance of the Earth's magnetic field. The Earth's magnetic field is generated by the flow of liquid iron-nickel in the Earth's core, a complex process that requires heat and flow from the Earth's core to sustain.
If the Earth's core cools, the flow of the Earth's core slows down or stops, and the Earth's magnetic field weakens or disappears. This is a very dangerous situation for the planet and for us.
The Earth's magnetic field is our umbrella, which is able to deflect the solar wind and cosmic radiation, protecting the Earth's atmosphere, water, life, etc. from damage. Without a magnetic field, the Earth would be exposed to intense radiation and particle streams, which would cause the Earth's atmosphere to be stripped away, the Earth's water to evaporate, and the Earth's life to be extinct. Without a magnetic field, Earth would become a desolate planet, just like Mars.
Mars is a planet with no heat loss, its interior has cooled for a long time, its core has solidified, and its magnetic field has disappeared.
Mars used to have an atmosphere and water, but it was blown away by the solar wind and turned into a planet unfit for life. If the Earth had no magnetic field, it would suffer the same fate, and our home would become uninhabitable.
Fortunately, the mass of the earth is larger than that of other rocky planets, and its heat loss is slower, and in the next few hundred million or billions of years, the heat inside the earth will remain at a high level, the earth's magnetic field will still exist, and life on the earth will prosper.
How long humans will survive on Earth is still unknown, depending on how we treat our Mother Earth and how we respond to the challenges and crises we face.
The change of the earth is a process in hundreds of millions of years, human life and history are very small, we should enjoy our short life, love and protect our earth. Either way, the Earth's internal cooling is an amazing discovery that gives us a deeper understanding and thinking about the Earth, and it also stimulates us to be more curious and explore the Earth. There are still many secrets of the earth waiting to be discovered, so let's take a look.
**10,000 Fans Incentive Plan