All Questions
Tagged with earth thermodynamics
51
questions
2
votes
1
answer
83
views
How does the excess GPE of a mountain cause its base to melt?
Weisskopf suggested that the Gravitational Potential Energy (GPE) of a vertical column of mountain rock of mass $m$ must be less than the latent heat of fusion $L_f$ of the rock, i.e. $$mgh<η L_fm ...
- 605
-5
votes
1
answer
101
views
Can the four Seasons of planet Earth be defined in terms of Energy? [closed]
Can the four Seasons of planet Earth be defined in terms of Energy?
The definition of Energy gotten from Google is:
ability to do work, which is the ability to exert a force causing displacement of ...
- 11
1
vote
0
answers
30
views
How do surface temperatures drop in response to optical depth?
I'm trying to come up with a super simple estimate for how atmospheric surface temperatures would be affected by a substance overhead with some optical depth $\tau$. I'll assume that the sun is always ...
- 129
2
votes
1
answer
74
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Since water can evaporate at any temperature above absolute 0, would the water cycle still be possible even without the Sun?
Since water can evaporate at any temperature (or even sublimate at less than 0°C, although at a very low rate: Why does water not evaporate in below 0 degrees?), could there be a water cycle if there ...
- 2,466
1
vote
1
answer
144
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Why do Greenhouse Gases absorb heavily in certain wavelengths? [closed]
What molecular properties make greenhouse gases absorb and reemit primarily IR radiation? That is, why are CO2, H2O and NO2 all greenhouse gases (GHGs), but others (such as helium and neon) aren't? ...
0
votes
2
answers
84
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What is the connection between Oort clouds and dark matter and dark energy? [closed]
I have a research assignment that I can't seem to find much info about, because it's not a very discussed or well theorized topic which is what is the connection between Oort clouds and dark matter ...
1
vote
1
answer
527
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Earth's core must be producing light, where is that light energy going?
Earth core is about 5000°C hot. It must be producing light but no one can see it. So where is that light energy going? It isn't escaping to space for sure.
- 131
2
votes
1
answer
312
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Could metal rods conduct geothermal energy to the surface?
Currently geothermal heat pumps circulate a working fluid through a loop running in either a deep well or a long series of more shallow trenches. Boring a well is expensive and digging trenches chews ...
- 21
2
votes
2
answers
378
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Why doesn't the Earth's temperature increase in the perihelion?
I know that what causes seasons in earth is the tilt of the earth and the fact that sun rays reach the earth from different angles during winter and summer, but why doesn't the temperature of the ...
user279760
45
votes
10
answers
12k
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Why can't the Earth's core melt the whole planet?
Earth core temperature is range between 4,400° Celsius (7,952°
Fahrenheit) to about 6,000° Celsius (10,800° Fahrenheit).
Source
Why can't the Earth's core melt the whole planet? In other words, what ...
- 567
1
vote
2
answers
198
views
Is there a correlation between the Earth's spin, the moon, and temperature?
Based on NASA's arcticle, changes to land, ice sheet, ocean, and mantle flow affect Earth's spin.
Does the moon's elliptical orbit around Earth also affect Earth's spin? What effect does distance play?...
- 113
0
votes
3
answers
309
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Doesn't Increase of Potential Temperature with Height contradict Adiabatic Nature of Processes within Troposphere?
According to my education as a sailplane pilot our troposphere is in good approximation subject to adiabatic processes.
Using adiabatic equations of (nearly ideal) ...
- 1,299
2
votes
2
answers
615
views
Entropy of photons in the Sun / Earth system - Do infrared photons have higher entropy than ultraviolet/visible photons?
The entropy of a photon gas in equilibrium (emitting e.g., black-body radiation; BB) is
$S \propto V \cdot T^3$
where $V$ is the volume and $T$ is the temperature of the gas [see https://en.wikipedia....
- 121
1
vote
1
answer
73
views
Does Earth's core have a heat sink and does it need one? [closed]
Pardon a question from a complete physics noob. I know only very basic thermodynamics and if my question is completely ridiculous, I apologize.
I've heard a very interesting, yet very questionable "...
- 13
2
votes
0
answers
56
views
Ocean warming by induced electric current for wandering magnetic poles?
In a post on the co-rotation of Earth and its magnetic field (Does the geomagnetic field rotate?), John Rennie raised the point that, if Earth's magnetic field were rotating about its dipole axis, it ...
- 21