Gravity & Geothermal: Why is Earth's Core so Hot?

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    Geothermal Gravity
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the reasons for the high temperatures at the Earth's core and the implications for geothermal energy. Participants explore the sources of heat within the Earth, including pressure effects and radioactive decay, and consider the sustainability of geothermal energy extraction.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether the pressure from the mass of the Earth contributes to the heat at the core and if geothermal energy can be a sustainable resource.
  • Another participant suggests that the heat is primarily due to the decay of radioactive materials from the Earth's early formation, indicating that geothermal energy is a non-renewable source but with a negligible extraction potential compared to the Earth's age.
  • A participant proposes the idea that the pressure at the Earth's center could lead to atomic decay, similar to processes occurring in the sun, which generates heat through gravitational collapse.
  • A later reply challenges the previous suggestion, asserting that while pressure contributes to some energy generation, radioactive decay is the main source of heat, contrasting it with the fusion processes in the sun.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the primary sources of heat in the Earth's core, with some emphasizing radioactive decay and others exploring the role of pressure. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications for geothermal energy sustainability.

Contextual Notes

Participants acknowledge the complexity of heat generation mechanisms and the differences between processes in the Earth and the sun, but do not resolve the nuances of these claims.

gloo
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Why is the center of the Earth so hot so that we can use geothermal? Will the Earth deep down always be hot because of the pressure of all the mass on top all the way to the surface? In that sense, can we always draw on the geothermal heat?
 
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isn't it possible that all the mass pushing down on the center of the earth, can cause some kind of atomic decay and create the heat that way? After all, the sun's mass collapsing in on it's center does the same and the heat is radiated into space?
 
gloo said:
isn't it possible that all the mass pushing down on the center of the earth, can cause some kind of atomic decay and create the heat that way?
No
After all, the sun's mass collapsing in on it's center does the same and the heat is radiated into space?
That's a whole lot more pressure

Some of the energy generated in the Earth is form the pressure of the overlying rocks, but radioactive decay is now the main source. This is mostly alpha/beta decay from radioactive heavy elements - very different from the fusion reactions in the sun
 

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