How Does Pressure Inside Earth Maintain Its High Temperature?

[Tor Barstad]

I know very little about this topic, so it would be very nice of you to help me out.

The inside of the Earth has a high temperature because there is high pressure I have been told. But how does this work? The kinetic energy from inside the Earth must reach the outer layers of the Earth and must then be radiated out to space sooner or later I suppose. At the same time no work is done either?

As far as I have understood the Earth is cooling (at least in the long run), but surely heat is produced inside the Earth even if it doesn't produce quite as much as it looses. Why?

 

[Borek]

High pressure is not a source of high temperature. Radioactivity is a source of energy that heats the inside, but there will be high pressure even when the Earth cools down.

 

[Tor Barstad]

High pressure is not a source of high temperature. Radioactivity is a source of energy that heats the inside, but there will be high pressure even when the Earth cools down.

Thank you!

 

[Lsos]

I'm pretty sure the size of the Earth keeps it from cooling off as well. It might not be huge in cosmic terms, but there's still a lot of insulation between the inside of the Earth and the outside.

Not sure of the mechanics behind it, but I heard that Mars doesn't have an atmosphere because it's small size resulted in the inside cooling off, thus losing its magnetic field, thus allowing the solar wind to strip off the atmosphere.

 

[pmacias]

The Earth's interior is hot due to a variety of factors, including radioactive decay, gravitational energy, and leftover heat from the planet's formation. The immense pressure at the Earth's core also contributes to its high temperature. This pressure is caused by the weight of the overlying layers of rock and the Earth's own gravitational pull. This pressure traps the heat inside and prevents it from escaping to the surface.

The Earth's core is also made up of mostly iron and nickel, which are both good conductors of heat. This allows the heat from the core to be transferred to the surrounding layers of the Earth, including the mantle and crust. As you mentioned, the kinetic energy from the Earth's interior does eventually reach the outer layers and is radiated out into space, but this process can take a very long time due to the Earth's size and the insulating properties of the overlying layers.

It is true that the Earth is cooling over time, but this does not mean that heat is no longer being produced inside the Earth. The Earth's internal heat is constantly being replenished through processes such as radioactive decay and the release of gravitational energy. While the rate of heat production may not be as high as the rate of heat loss, it is still enough to maintain the Earth's high temperature.

Overall, the Earth's interior is a complex and dynamic system that is constantly changing and evolving. The high temperature inside the Earth is a result of a combination of factors and is crucial for maintaining the planet's structure and supporting life on its surface.