The Lively Earth: Important Features Make the Earth Unique
EASC 2112 Earth System
The lively Earth: important features make the Earth unique
Name: Leung Ho Nam, Banson
UID: 2011712579
Introduction:
The Earth is one of the eight planets in the solar system. The planet Earth is emphasized as “the rare Earth” in numerous literatures because of its unique physical conditions and the complicated interactions among all biotic and abiotic systems. Isotope dating indicates the earth was formed approximately from 4.53 to 4.568 Ga, according to isotope used (Allègre et. al., 1995). Despite the precise formation time of the Earth, there is no exact planet formation model that is generally accepted except the minimum mass solar nebula model, MMSN (Canup, 2008). The MMSN model suggested the planetary accretion of the Earth and other terrestrial planets begins with a disc of hydrogen abundant gas and dust, circulating around the sun. Following by a series of collision, small particles combine and collapse repeatedly. The runaway growth slows down until reaching a certain mass (Canup, 2008). The formation process is crucial to the evolution of the Earth because it determines the source of materials which the Earth contains. The formation of the Earth, indeed, is not specific enough to comprise “the rare Earth” because all solar planets were grown within a circumsolar disc of gas and dust suggested by Canuo (2008). When we look at the solar system from the outer space, the Earth is probably the only shiny blue planet because of water surface reflection. 70 percent of the Earth surface is covered by the ocean. There is approximately 1.4 billion km2 of liquid water by mass on Earth (Oak & Kanae, 2006). The existence of permanent liquid water responsible to create a mild temperature and a stable environment. Liquid water is an important element implicates the emergence and evolution of life on Earth after a few million years from the latest collision (Baross & Hoffman, 1985). The distinct blue colour of the ocean
The lively Earth: important features make the Earth unique
Name: Leung Ho Nam, Banson
UID: 2011712579
Introduction:
The Earth is one of the eight planets in the solar system. The planet Earth is emphasized as “the rare Earth” in numerous literatures because of its unique physical conditions and the complicated interactions among all biotic and abiotic systems. Isotope dating indicates the earth was formed approximately from 4.53 to 4.568 Ga, according to isotope used (Allègre et. al., 1995). Despite the precise formation time of the Earth, there is no exact planet formation model that is generally accepted except the minimum mass solar nebula model, MMSN (Canup, 2008). The MMSN model suggested the planetary accretion of the Earth and other terrestrial planets begins with a disc of hydrogen abundant gas and dust, circulating around the sun. Following by a series of collision, small particles combine and collapse repeatedly. The runaway growth slows down until reaching a certain mass (Canup, 2008). The formation process is crucial to the evolution of the Earth because it determines the source of materials which the Earth contains. The formation of the Earth, indeed, is not specific enough to comprise “the rare Earth” because all solar planets were grown within a circumsolar disc of gas and dust suggested by Canuo (2008). When we look at the solar system from the outer space, the Earth is probably the only shiny blue planet because of water surface reflection. 70 percent of the Earth surface is covered by the ocean. There is approximately 1.4 billion km2 of liquid water by mass on Earth (Oak & Kanae, 2006). The existence of permanent liquid water responsible to create a mild temperature and a stable environment. Liquid water is an important element implicates the emergence and evolution of life on Earth after a few million years from the latest collision (Baross & Hoffman, 1985). The distinct blue colour of the ocean