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Yes, as the heavy radioactive elements (e.g. uranium and thorium) that have the longest decay chains are concentrated in the inner/solid and outer/liquid nickle iron cores most of the heating occurs there. But radioactive decay heating also occurs in the mantle (where it drives convection cells that power plate tectonics) and to a lesser extent the crust. Lighter radioactive elements (e.g. carbon-14) that decay directly to stable elements are concentrated in the atmosphere, while they do produce some heat it is totally overwhelmed by heat from the sun.
Wiki User
∙ 10y ago
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoYes, the Earth radiates a tremendous amount of heat away. Fortunately, we have an endless supply incoming from the sun to just about balance that out.
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What type of energy is emitted from earth to the atmosphere?
Simple Answer:Most of the energy emitted from the Earth is infrared energy, just below the visible spectrum we can see. A portion of this energy is absorbed by the atmosphere, particularly by water vapor and carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere.Planets have some heat.The Earth and other planets retain some residual heat left form the time planets and the Sun were formed four or five billion years ago. In addition, there are some internal sources of heat such as radioactive decay. Earth and other planets also gain heat from the Sun.Planets lose heat.Overwhelmingly, the mechanism for heat loss is through radiation of heat. All objects radiate heat in the form of electromagnetic radiation. (One can look up "black body radiation" which is an interesting topic in its own.) For Earth, this is typically characterized as infra-red radiation. The radiation is emitted from the Earth, through the atmosphere and heads out into cold space.(Space, all the apparent emptiness we see in the night sky, is at a temperature of about 4 degrees Celsius above absolute zero, compared to our temperature of almost 300 degrees above absolute zero. The cooling through radiation of the hot Earth is evident in our daily lives because the cooling we experience at night can be so dramatic. In particular, clouds prevent much infrared radiation from directly escaping. A cloudy night cools several degrees less than a clear night.)There are complications.Though there is no question that the Earth loses heat by radiating it into space, the details get complex. There are a lot of complications about how much energy of this sort is absorbed by the atmosphere and that leads to discussions of the Greenhouse Effect, but that can be left to another question. There is a complex balance of energy incoming and energy radiated that can occupy a long discussion.
What happens when the earth's magnetic field turn into 0?
If the Earth were to lose its magnetic field, things would get a lot more interesting. We'd get a lot more ionizing radiation at the surface, which would result in more mutations (and more deaths).
Do alkaline earth metals lose 2 electrons in chemical reactions?
Yes
Will a bad thermostat cause a car to lose acceleration?
By itself, the thermostat would have to be stuck closed causing a severe overheat condition to cause a loss of power.
True or False An artificial satellite in a high orbit will slow down and lose altitude due to the pull of Earth's gravity?
False. Why would it slow down? There is no friction in a high orbit; a satellite can orbit indefinitely. Only in low orbits will satellites slow down and fall from orbit, and the cause is the friction of the extremely tenuous final traces of Earth's atmosphere.
How does animal lose heat through radiation?
if it feels like it
High air temperature reduces body's ability to lose heat by?
Radiation
What areas in a building cause you to lose heat?
Windows, doors, floors and ceiling will cause heat loss.
Can the loss of antifreeze cause you to lose your heat?
Yes, low coolant can cause a loss of heat in the cabin.
Why does the earth not lose its heat as quickly at night as the moon does?
no you answer it
How can the body lose heat from radiation conduction and convection?
For example, you are touching something that feels like you are putting your hands into something very ice cold. That is how you can lose heat from your body.
Do stars radiate heat energy?
Like the Sun, all the stars are radiating heat all the time. They lose the heat (or thermal energy) through radiation.
How is heat energy lost from an object?
There are three ways to transfer heat energy (conduction, convection, radiation); any of the three can occur, for an object to lose heat energy.
What would cause one tire to lose tread and not the rest?
heat
What does heat cause atoms to do?
it causes the atoms to lose their negative electrons
After earth absorbs infrared rays that heat the ground what kind of energy does the atmosphere absorb from the ground?
Simple Answer:The Earth loses most of its energy through infrared radiation. The atmosphere, particularly water vapor and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, absorb a great deal of energy radiated from the Earth's surface.Planets have some heat.The Earth and other planets retain some residual heat left form the time planets and the Sun were formed four or five billion years ago. In addition, there are some internal sources of heat such as radioactive decay. Earth and other planets also gain heat from the Sun.Planets lose heat.Overwhelmingly, the mechanism for heat loss is through radiation of heat. All objects radiate heat in the form of electromagnetic radiation. (One can look up "black body radiation" which is an interesting topic in its own.) For Earth, this is typically characterized as infra-red radiation. The radiation is emitted from the Earth, through the atmosphere and heads out into cold space.(Space, all the apparent emptiness we see in the night sky, is at a temperature of about 4 degrees Celsius above absolute zero, compared to our temperature of almost 300 degrees above absolute zero. The cooling through radiation of the hot Earth is evident in our daily lives because the cooling we experience at night can be so dramatic. In particular, clouds prevent much infrared radiation from directly escaping. A cloudy night cools several degrees less than a clear night.)
What are some ways people can effect earths energy budget?
This is straight from the book: 1.Solar radiation hits Earth and it's atmosphere 2.Earth loses energy by reflection of sunlight from its surface and from clouds, dust, and air molecules in the atmosphere 3.Earth's surface, clouds, and atmosphere lose infrared radiation(heat) to space 4.Greenhouse gasses, such as carbon dioxide, let sunlight in but keep infrared radiation from escaping to space
