We all know the deeper we dig, we may bump into older civilization. The grand canyon is an example. So are archeological sites around the world.
That got me thinking. Say an older civilization is buried half a mile below earth surface. The radius in that region must be greater today than before. So there is only one direction for earth diameter. It has to increase with time. What am I missing? Any thoughts?
Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
I think only one entity's diameter is increasing.. And that's Israel. Quite unfortunately
Re: Is the earth’s diameter increasing with time?
Which led me to ask another question.
Assume earth’s center is fixed. Draw a diameter randomly. Say diameter meets sphere at N1 and S1. N north hemisphere s south hemisphere.
Say 50000 yrs ago, the civilization at N1 was half mile deep relative to present earth surface. And at S1 only 0.35 mile deep. Then Radius at N1 greater than that at S1. So earth not perfect sphere. Googled and found this.
Strange but True: Earth Is Not Round - Scientific American
It’s an oblate spheroid. Flat at poles bulged at equator. Something abt spinning around its axis causing this. No mention was made on different values for RN1and RN2. What am I missing?
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
Point noted, Mr. Sid from New York.
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
I am not sure but certainly something to think about. Everything plants, soil, debris, previous civilization's remain which we unearth deep down all eventually came from earth and they go back to earth. There is no layer of sand and mountains coming from outside of earth to cover it. Its all part of earth and maybe covered overtime due to quakes, tectonic plates shifting, plants etc. So there is no net gain or loss unless something comes from outside our atmosphere and deposits a layer of sand
You are not missing anything Southie, but what pisiform said. Earth is an 'egg on its side' shaped piece of rock. It's not smooth and has bumps and cracks and mountains and canyons all over its surface. Earth's diameter is just an average number.
About civilizations getting buried; it's earth's own material that keeps getting shifted on top and under of each other
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
earth was smaller before. Much smaller with less gravity.
Hence bigger beings.
So how did it become bigger, while sustaining the life?
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
no idea.
Even when I was little world was much smaller.. I seemed like i knew every one...
not any more :(
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
no idea.
Even when I was little world was much smaller.. I seemed like i knew every one...
not any more :(
lol that kinda small
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
Layers are formed by growth cycles piling on top of the land while weight shifts the layers deeper in to the ground ... There comes a point where layers cease and this is when the sedimentary rock layers are so piled with weight and heat from below that they change in to metamorphic rock and eventually join the magma. Layers form from years of vegetation and volcanic activity surfacing and settling and human layers can be found too because foundations of houses and roads were built on upwards so you get layers there too ...
Sometimes layers split and throw up the layered rocks and you can see nice pieces of rock with layers at angles and at other times layers can grow upwards if there is a push of magma forcing the ground to grow from underneath ... Ancient rivers form ravines and canyons and you can see layers there too ...
Regarding the Earth - yes, its lateral diameter is wider than it vertical diameter because the spin widens it ... Additionally when the moon gets closer to the Earth the gravitation pulls on it too causing not only tidal waves but also slight bulging of the surface in the direction towards the moon. The Earth is quite fluid really despite at the terrestrial scale it appearing to be solid, at the planetary scale it wobbles and bulges and warps all the time, most planets do.
The only way the diameter of the Earth could possibly be expanding is if the substance that makes up the Earth is gradually reducing in density. Certainly a lot more gases exist now than they did in the past so the atmosphere must be expanding.
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
I have a followup.. if it is increasing in diameter, it must also be becoming heavier. Which means, its rotation is getting slower and days are getting longer... ok..who wants to go down this rabbit hole... ?
Not necessarily. If the inner gases are pushing the outside layer out with more pressure, diameter can increase without an increase in mass. That is what Psyah also said in his last para.
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
I have a followup.. if it is increasing in diameter, it must also be becoming heavier. Which means, its rotation is getting slower and days are getting longer... ok..who wants to go down this rabbit hole... ?
is there a formula that describes the relationship between diameter, rotation and mass?
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
is there a formula that describes the relationship between diameter, rotation and mass?
Pisi..dont trip us up with questions like these..:)
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
Not necessarily. If the inner gases are pushing the outside layer out with more pressure, diameter can increase without an increase in mass. That is what Psyah also said in his last para.
OK. But could population increase contribute to increase in mass?
Re: Is the earth's diameter increasing with time?
Great question. Could it be some other species slowly become extinct to accommodate humans?
Also, for pisiform here is an equation. Each term below is mass of
Humans+ animals plus vegetation plus water plus trees & plants plus rest of earth core plus atmospheric gas is constant.
This equation is earthily know as The law of Mass Conversation of Planet Earth. (MCP-e)
Re: Is the earth’s diameter increasing with time?
Southie pretty much said that, but every single cell in our body, once belonged to the planet earth. So as we gain mass as human population, we take the from the earth - when we die, we gonna give our selves back to earth.
But read this.
Re: Is the earth’s diameter increasing with time?
yes, the famous Kepler’s laws help us do that. You can checkout this page. It has a nice calculator at the end.
Re: Is the earth’s diameter increasing with time?
guess who can drive kepler’s law from simple polar vectors 