why is earth's core so hot and what would happen if it suddenly cooled?

Answer 1

Well, that would take an act of divine intervention or pure magic...but if it did occur, the primary effect would be the loss of the Earth's magnetic field which protects life from harmful solar radiation. This in turn would lead to a massive extinction event, though some life would probably adapt, perhaps even some humans. We're pretty resourceful, but I'm not sure we could keep up with that level of peril for more than a few generations.

Answer 2

As someone said above, radioactive decay keeps the core hot.

When it does cool (a long, long time from now so we really don't have to worry about it) we will lose our magnetic field, which will be bad (as someone stated above). Also, we will no longer have plate tectonics - no more big earthquakes, no more volcanoes. This is bad, too. Volcanoes put gases into our atmosphere, and if that were to stop we would eventually lose much of our atmosphere. Also, the whole process of plate tectonics helps to balance the levels of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere - it is an important step in the Earth's carbon cycle (see http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/CarbonCycle/carbon_cycle.html for more information.)

Answer 3

because its been believed that once a long time ago earth was too a part of sun...which then seperated and outer surface i.e. core of it has gone down several changes and there were several acid rains and other physical and chemical changes took place making its outer surface to cooled down... and if there is gonna be a sudden cooled down effect in its inner layers.... one thing it cannot happen... like a pasty... inner filling never gets cooler at once... firstly outer surface cools down then the inner does... but very slowly... similarly the thing is inner layers would not cooled down suddenly and if by any chance by a miracle this may happen then the law will apply that it will shrink the thinng....

Answer 4

Hi. It stays hot because of radioactive decay, among other things. If it cooled to room temperature the earthquakes and volcanoes would stop.

Answer 5

http://science.howstuffworks.com/earth.htm