Eli5 Is the earth getting bigger?

Question

With the massive rifts that have occurred from the earthquake in Turkey, is the movement of the tectonic plates increasing the diameter, even temporarily?

In: 1

Answer 1

No.

If land rises in one area it falls in another. Earthquakes don’t create more stuff. They just rearrange what’s there.

Also: the Earth is almost 8,000 miles or 12,800 kilometers in diameter, and if an earthquake caused land to rise by 10 meters/yards that’s only 0.00001% of the Earth’s diameter.

But yes, the Earth is constantly getting bigger from all of the space dust and meteors that are constantly falling, [about 50 tons per day](https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/overview/)

Answer 2

Yes, but it’s not really substantial. We’re bombarded by about 30,000 tones of micrometeorites each year.

Answer 3

Thank you everyone! That was enlightening.

Answer 4

Thank you everyone! That was enlightening.