Can Sun Radiation Penetrate Earth's Crust and Alter Rock Composition?

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    Neutrino
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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores whether solar radiation, particularly neutrinos, can penetrate the Earth's crust and affect rock composition. Participants examine the potential for solar radiation to alter atomic structures within the crust and the implications of such interactions over time.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions if any type of solar radiation can penetrate a few miles into the Earth's crust and affect rock composition over time.
  • Another participant states that neutrinos pass through the Earth easily, with only a small percentage being stopped by rock, and they are not trapped but can interact with atoms.
  • A participant mentions that the solar neutrino flux is similar on both the sunlit and dark sides of the Earth, providing a non-technical perspective on neutrino detection.
  • It is proposed that the effect of neutrinos on atomic structure depends on the type of atom and the energy of the neutrino, with a suggestion that significant changes would take billions of years.
  • Further clarification indicates that neutrinos interact primarily with unstable atoms, having little effect on stable ones.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the nature of neutrinos and their interactions with matter, but there is uncertainty regarding the long-term effects on Earth's composition and the specific conditions under which these interactions occur.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on the type of atom involved and the energy levels of the neutrinos, as well as the long timescales required for any potential changes to be significant.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those exploring the interactions between solar radiation and geological materials, as well as individuals curious about neutrino physics and its implications for Earth science.

YADA
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I just watched the movie 2012. Now I know it's just a movie and a bit of fantasy.

What I want to know is, is there any type of radiation from the Sun that can penetrate a few miles into the Earth's crust and have some sort of effect on the rock down there. For example, can the amount of radiation in a rock be slowly increased over time only from radiation coming from the Sun? Do neutrinos become trapped in rock a few miles under ground and become detectable?

Thanks for any answers.
 
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neutrinos go through the Earth easily
only a very small percentage of them are stopped by the rock

they aren't trapped as such - they are absorbed by an atom and have an effect, changing the atom
 
Thanks mgb_phys. I read somewhere that the amount of solar neutrinos hitting the side of the Earth facing the Sun are about the same as those being detected on the far side of the Earth. Thanks heaps for the non-technical answer.

Does the change in the atom change its radioactivity?
 
Depends on the atom and the energy of the neutrino (they have a wide spectrum).

Generally speaking, even if every single solar neutrino that hit the Earth were to be absorbed, it would take many billions of years to have any appreciable effect on Earth's composition.
 
Thanks hamster143. I think I can consider my questions answered. Thanks to both of you.
 
YADA said:
Thanks mgb_phys. I read somewhere that the amount of solar neutrinos hitting the side of the Earth facing the Sun are about the same as those being detected on the far side of the Earth.
correct, there about 50-100,000,000,000 neutrinos per cm^2 per second going through the earth.
The biggest detector is equivalent to 50,000 tons of rock and only detects 100 per year !11

Does the change in the atom change its radioactivity?
they interact with only a very few types of unstable atoms to change them - they don't have much effect on normal atoms.
 

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