Eli5: How does the core of the Earth (or any planets) not cool and still give off tons of heat energy? Where is this energy coming from?
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The do cool off though – we no longer have Komatiities being formed which can only occur under hotter inner planetary conditions like those of the earlier earth which was still hot from planetary accretion as well as more radioactive elements within the early mantle.
As time as gone on, many of these radioactive elements have depleted but there are still many others which keep the inner planet hot. But it’s certainly cooler than it once was.
The do cool off though – we no longer have Komatiities being formed which can only occur under hotter inner planetary conditions like those of the earlier earth which was still hot from planetary accretion as well as more radioactive elements within the early mantle.
As time as gone on, many of these radioactive elements have depleted but there are still many others which keep the inner planet hot. But it’s certainly cooler than it once was.
The core of the Earth (or any other planet) is still hot because of the energy generated by the process of radioactive decay. This process involves unstable atoms breaking down and releasing energy in the form of heat.
The core of the Earth (or any other planet) is still hot because of the energy generated by the process of radioactive decay. This process involves unstable atoms breaking down and releasing energy in the form of heat.
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But they do cool. It just happens over billions of years. The heat the planets have come from their creation among the superhot stars and they are gradually losing it.
But they do cool. It just happens over billions of years. The heat the planets have come from their creation among the superhot stars and they are gradually losing it.
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