The Terrestrial Planets,Part II
The Earth
EARTH
Physical Data
Diameter: 12,756.3 km Mass: 5.976x1027 g Density: 5.518 g/cm3
Rotation Period: 23.9 hours Tilt of Axis: 23.5o
Surface Temperature: 200-300 K
Physical Data
Orbital Semi-Major Axis: 1.49x1011 m (1 AU)
Orbital Period: 365.26 days Orbital Inclination: 0o
Orbital Eccentricity: 0.017 Satellites: 1 Magnetic Field: yes
Earth’s Interior
Earth’s Interior
MANT L E CURR ENT S
OCEAN F L OOR
MOUNTAIN RANGE
CONT I NE NTR I F F S
T R ENCH
Currents in the Mantle Cause Plate Tectonics
Earth’s Surface
Continental Drift
Earth’s Surface
Earth’s Atmosphere
75.5% Nitrogen 23.1% Oxygen 1.29% Argon 1.7-0.06% Water Vapor 0.05% Carbon Dioxide 0.0013% Neon 0.00007% Helium
Earth’s Atmosphere
( I on os phere )
The Ionosphere
F2
F1
E
D
F layerscombineat night
The Ionosphere
Altitudes of the Ionospheric Layers
The Ionosphere Reflection of Radio Waves
The Ionosphere
Creation of Ions
Earth’s Magnetic Field
S
N
S
N
Dipolar Field
Magnetic South Pole is Located in the Geographic North Pole!
Earth’s Magnetic Field
Van Allen Belts Inner Belt - Positive
Protons Outer Belt - Negative
Electronse
_ p+
Aurorae
From the ground
m
Aurorae
The Auroral Oval
From Space
From the Space Shuttle
Magnetosphere
gjjikui
Van Allen Belts
The Moon
Earth’s Moon Average Distance to Earth: 384,400km (238,855
miles) Orbital inclination: 5.1o
Diameter: 3476 km (0.273 DEarth)
Mass: 7.35x1025 g (0.0123 MEarth)
Surface Temperature: -274o F (night)
266o F (day) Surface Gravity: 0.167 Earth’s
The Moon’s Interior
The Moon’s SurfaceCraters: Maria:
Older Terrain Younger Terrain
The Moon’s Surface
Mare Orientale Largest impact
crater on the Moon Has three
concentric circular mountain ranges created by the impact
