Why doesn't the heat seep up and melt the ice caps?
2006-07-15 14:32:23 · 7 answers · asked by RACOGNAW 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Earth Sciences & Geology
The crust is the outer edge of the earth that has cooled. Since the crust is significantly thick, heat cannot be transmitted through it as a medium. The molten hot magma does seep up sometimes, that's when you get volcanoes. (Austin powers- "Molten hot MAGMA" I laugh everytime I say it aloud)
2006-07-15 15:45:38 · answer #1 · answered by cptbirdman 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Rock is a hell of a good heat insulator. You can get a good idea of the average surface temperature 200 years ago by drilling a hole a few metres deep and measuring the temperature down there. Heat is still being produced deep inside the Earth by radioactive decay of uranium and thorium down there.But even if it wasn't, most of the heat from billions of years ago hasn't escaped yet. If you go to the bottom of a South African gold mine, it's uncomfortably hot, just 5 km. down, even when there's a frost up top. And the centre of the Earth is another 6400 km further down.
2006-07-15 20:12:48 · answer #2 · answered by zee_prime 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As evidenced by skill of the lava that comes out of a volcano, then cools and hardens as quickly because it reaches the air, water and land, As you commute faraway from the middle, it cools. Now in basic terms why the middle maintains to harbor molten magma, the way it were given there interior the first position, etc., remains more often than not theory. superb conjecture is compression and rigidity from the sheer mass of the Earth pushing into it using gravity. word: The solar is 332,930 circumstances as great because the Earth, and is thoroughly aflame at a temperature of 15,000,000 deg, ok. more suitable mass, more suitable gravity, more suitable rigidity, more suitable warmth. by skill of ways, the solar contains ninety 9.9% of all the count that exists in our image voltaic equipment! wish it really is what you're searching for.
2016-12-10 10:11:48 · answer #3 · answered by mundell 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Heat is transferred by molecular vibrations, which tend to diminuish over distance, and there is a huge distance from the center to the surface. At least that's what I remember from the olden days in School...
2006-07-16 00:29:38 · answer #4 · answered by Eik 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because the ice caps Are very far from the center of the Earth
2006-07-15 14:38:17 · answer #5 · answered by That one guy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because it has a 4000 mile insulator called The Earth's Mantle and Crust.
2006-07-15 15:31:43 · answer #6 · answered by hyperhealer3 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
surface far from centre
2006-07-15 23:12:02 · answer #7 · answered by the great man of lake mauvia 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋