Formation of Earth - National Geographic Society
Oct 19, 2023 · Earth’s early atmosphere was most likely composed of hydrogen and helium. As the planet changed, and the crust began to form, volcanic eruptions occurred frequently. These volcanoes pumped water vapor, ammonia, and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere around Earth.
Formation of Earth - Education
Oct 19, 2023 · Scientists think Earth formed in three different stages. The first stage is known as accretion. Particles within the solar system crashed into each other and stuck together forming larger and larger bodies.
Age of Earth - Education
Oct 19, 2023 · Earth has existed for 4.5 billion years. In that time, it has undergone amazing transformations as a variety of geologic processes have changed the planet. Have students read the introduction to the infographic.
Formation of Earth - Education
Oct 19, 2023 · Over the course of a few hundred million years, the planet began to cool and oceans of liquid water formed. Heavy elements, like iron and nickel, began sinking toward the center of the planet. As this happened, Earth separated into …
Core
Jun 11, 2024 · When Earth was formed about 4.5 billion years ago, it was a uniform ball of hot rock. Radioactive decay and leftover heat from planetary formation (the collision , accretion , and compression of space rocks) caused the ball to get even hotter.
Plate Tectonics - Education
The Earth’s crust is broken up into a series of massive sections called plates. These tectonic plates rest upon the convecting mantle, which causes them to move. The movements of these plates can account for noticeable geologic events such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and more subtle yet sublime events, like the building of mountains.
Crust - Education | National Geographic Society
Apr 25, 2024 · Dynamic geologic forces created Earth’s crust, and the crust continues to be shaped by the planet’s movement and energy. Today, tectonic activity is responsible for the formation (and destruction) of crustal materials. Earth’s crust is divided into two types: oceanic crust and continental crust.
Earth - Education | National Geographic Society
Sep 26, 2024 · Earth’s Evolution. Earth and the rest of the solar system formed about 4.6 billion years ago from a huge, spinning cloud of gas and dust. Over a period of about 10 million years, the dense center of the cloud grew very hot. This massive center became the sun.
Mantle - Education | National Geographic Society
Apr 30, 2024 · The mantle is the mostly solid bulk of Earth’s interior. The mantle lies between Earth’s dense, superheated core and its thin outer layer, the crust. The mantle is about 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) thick, and makes up a whopping 84 percent of Earth’s total volume.
Continent - Education | National Geographic Society
Nov 29, 2023 · Studies of rocks found in ancient areas of North America have revealed the oldest known pieces of the continents began to form nearly four billion years ago, soon after Earth itself formed. At that time, a primitive ocean covered Earth.