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