How do scientists know how hot the core is?

Answer 1

The heat present in the Earth is due to several factors.

The first source of heat is from the remnants of heat from impacts with planetesimals early in Earth's history. Impacts with large bodies such as these (including the impact which led to the formation of the moon) trapped the thermal energy of the collision in the surrounding rock of the planet, and may have been enough in certain circumstances to completely melt the early Earth.

The second source of heat is also a remnant of an early Earth event known as the Iron Catastrophe. With much of early Earth still molten, denser metals, particularly iron and nickel, migrated to the center of the planet. Tremendous amounts of frictional heat was created, enough to completely melt the planet once again.

The third source of heat in the Earth is from compression due to gravity.

The fourth and final source of heat in the Earth is from the decay of radioactive elements. This source of heat is gradually declining due the decreasing amounts of radioactive isotopes, the decrease being caused by the decay.

Answer 2

Any heat in the Earth's center tends to escape - it is transferred to the Earth's surface and then radiated into space. The Earth should have cooled down in a few hundred million years or so. What happens here is that new heat is provided by the decay of radioactive isotopes.

Answer 3

There is no way to measure the temperature at the Earth's core

directly. We know from mines and drill holes that, near

the surface of the Earth, the temperature increases by about

1 degree Fahrenheit for every 60 feet in depth. If this

temperature increase continued to the center of the Earth, the

Earth's core would be 100,000 degrees Celsius!

But nobody believes the Earth is that hot; the temperature increase

must slow down with depth and the core is probably

about 3000 to 5000 degrees Celsius.

Answer 4

There is no way to measure the temperature at the Earth's core

directly. We know from mines and drill holes that, near

the surface of the Earth, the temperature increases by about

1 degree Fahrenheit for every 60 feet in depth. If this

temperature increase continued to the center of the Earth, the

Earth's core would be 100,000 degrees Celsius!

But nobody believes the Earth is that hot; the temperature increase

must slow down with depth and the core is probably

about 3000 to 5000 degrees Celsius.

Answer 5

There is no way to measure the temperature at the Earth's core directly. We know from mines and drill holes that, near the surface of the Earth, the temperature increases by about 1 degree Fahrenheit for every 60 feet in depth. If this temperature increase continued to the center of the Earth, the Earth's core would be 100,000 degrees Celsius!

But nobody believes the Earth is that hot; the temperature increase must slow down with depth and the core is probably about 3000 to 5000 degrees Celsius.

This estimate of the temperature is derived from theoretical modeling and laboratory experiments. This work is very difficult (and speculative) since nobody can reproduce in a laboratory the high temperatures and pressures that exist in the core.

Answer 6

At the center of the planet, the temperature may be up to 7,000 K

Answer 7

According to the geothermal gradient, temperature increases with depth from the surface.

Answer 8

with a thermometer.