3/25/2015

EarthWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Earth
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Earth,alsocalledtheworld[n4]and,lessfrequently,Gaia[n5](and
Terrainsomeworksofsciencefiction[27])isthethirdplanetfrom
theSun,thedensestplanetintheSolarSystem,thelargestofthe
SolarSystem'sfourterrestrialplanets,andtheonlyastronomical
objectknowntoaccommodatelife.TheearliestlifeonEartharose
atleast3.5billionyearsago.[28][29][30]Earth'sbiodiversityhas
expandedcontinuallyexceptwheninterruptedbymass
extinctions.[31]Althoughscholarsestimatethatover99percentof
allspeciesthateverlivedontheplanetareextinct,[32][33]Earthis
currentlyhometo1014millionspeciesoflife,[34][35]including
over7.2billionhumans[36]whodependuponitsbiosphereand
minerals.Earth'shumanpopulationisdividedamongabouttwo
hundredsovereignstateswhichinteractthroughdiplomacy,
conflict,travel,tradeandcommunicationmedia.
Accordingtoevidencefromradiometricdatingandothersources,
Earthwasformedaroundfourandahalfbillionyearsago.Within
itsfirstbillionyears,[37]lifeappearedinitsoceansandbeganto
affectitsatmosphereandsurface,promotingtheproliferationof
aerobicaswellasanaerobicorganismsandcausingtheformation
oftheatmosphere'sozonelayer.Thislayerandthegeomagnetic
fieldblockedthemostlifethreateningpartsoftheSun'sradiation,
solifewasabletoflourishonlandaswellasinwater.[38]Since
then,thecombinationofEarth'sdistancefromtheSun,itsphysical
propertiesanditsgeologicalhistoryhaveallowedlifetothriveand
evolve.
Earth'slithosphereisdividedintoseveralrigidtectonicplatesthat
migrateacrossthesurfaceoverperiodsofmanymillionsofyears.
SeventyonepercentofEarth'ssurfaceiscoveredwithwater,[39]
withtheremainderconsistingofcontinentsandislandsthat
togetherhavemanylakesandothersourcesofwaterthatcontribute
tothehydrosphere.Earth'spolesaremostlycoveredwithicethat
includesthesolidiceoftheAntarcticicesheetandtheseaiceof
thepolaricepacks.Earth'sinteriorremainsactivewithasolidiron
innercore,aliquidoutercorethatgeneratesthemagneticfield,and
athicklayerofrelativelysolidmantle.
Earthgravitationallyinteractswithotherobjectsinspace,
especiallytheSunandtheMoon.DuringoneorbitaroundtheSun,
Earthrotatesaboutitsownaxis366.26times,creating365.26solar
daysoronesiderealyear.[n6]Earth'saxisofrotationistilted23.4
awayfromtheperpendicularofitsorbitalplane,producing
seasonalvariationsontheplanet'ssurfacewithaperiodofone
tropicalyear(365.24solardays).[40]TheMoonisEarth'sonly
naturalsatellite.ItbeganorbitingEarthabout
4.53billionyearsago.TheMoon'sgravitationalinteractionwith
Earthstimulatesoceantides,stabilizestheaxialtiltandgradually
slowstheplanet'srotation.

Earth

"TheBlueMarble"photographofEarth,takenduringthe
Apollo17lunarmissionin1972.
Orbitalcharacteristics
Epoch J2000[n1]
Aphelion

151 930 000km

(1.015 59AU) [n2]

Perihelion

147 095 000km

(0.983 2687AU) [n2]

Semimajoraxis 149 598 261km

(1.000 002 61AU) [1]

Eccentricity

0.016 711 23[1]

Orbitalperiod

365.256 363 004d[2]

(1.000 017 420 96yr)

Averageorbital 29.78km/s[3]
speed
(107 200km/h)
Meananomaly 355.53deg[4]
Inclination

7.155degtoSun'sequator
1.57869deg[5]toinvariableplane
0.00005degtoJ2000ecliptic

Longitudeof
11.260 64deg[3]toJ2000ecliptic
ascendingnode
Argumentof
perihelion
Satellites

102.947 19deg[3]
Onenaturalsatellite
1070operationalartificialsatellites
21 000piecesofdebrisover10cm
insize (asof24October2013). [6]
Physicalcharacteristics

Contents
1Nameandetymology
2Compositionandstructure
2.1Shape

Meanradius

6 371.0km[7]

Equatorial
radius

6 378.1km[8][9]

Polarradius

6 356.8km[10]

Flattening

0.003 3528[11]
1/298.257222101(ETRS89)

2.2Chemicalcomposition
2.3Internalstructure
2.4Heat

Circumference

40 007.86km (meridional) [12][13]

2.5Tectonicplates
2.6Surface
2.7Hydrosphere
2.8Atmosphere
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth#Hydrosphere

40 075.017km (equatorial) [9]

Surfacearea

510 072 000km2[14][15][n3]

(148 940 000km2 (29.2%)land
361 132 000km2 (70.8%)water)
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