Earth: Connect with the Planet

Earth is the only planet in the solar system with a crust of tectonic plates floating on top of a magma interior. Over time, the plate tectonics pull carbon and other remnants of life back into the interior of the Earth where they are recycled. Without the plate tectonics there would be no way to recycle the carbon, and the Earth would overheat and our planet would end up hot and barren like Venus.

Seventy percent of the Earth’s surface may be covered in water, but the rest of the planet is composed mainly of iron, oxygen and silicon. The molten core of the Earth is 88% iron, creating a giant magnetic effect with opposite poles at the top and bottom. The magnetosphere field extends thousands of miles out from the surface where it channels the solar winds and protects us from harmful radiation.

The Earth’s atmosphere also extends out thousands of miles, although 75% of the atmosphere is contained within the first ten miles above the planet’s surface. At higher altitudes the atmosphere is extremely thin and there is less protection, free-moving particles can escape the pull of the earth’s gravity and get blown into space by solar winds.

We’ve discovered evidence of water on Mars, and the building blocks of life’s proteins on Saturn’s moons. Scientists have also seen amino acids in nebulae in deep space, but for now, Earth is the only planet known to have life and we are very lucky to be on it. Help keep the Earth healthy and we will all have a brighter tomorrow.