Why didn't the young Earth freeze? Nature News: Nitrogen now stored in the planetary crust and mantle may have prevented the early Earth from freezing, scientists suggest. The study lends weight to the idea that on geological timescales atmospheric pressure helps to regulate climate and habitability...
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Umm, doesn't the earth generate its own heat via convection caused by the electromagnetism of its core?
I don't think I ever heard it in those words before Jim, but Earth is often described as a dynamo, and a dynamo uses an electromagnet, sort of, so there is some waste heat that warms Earth. Other sources of waste heat are convection produced by sun and moon tides, and the decay of radioactive isotopes. These were all somewhat larger in the past, and fossil heat was also significant. but 99 plus % of the air temperature has likely been the Sun for the last 4 billion years, not long after we got our big moon. Neil
Last edited by neil; 05-12-2010 at 06:16 PM.
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