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EarthWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia
Earth
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia
Earth,alsocalledtheworld[n4]and,lessfrequently,Gaia[n5](and
Terrainsomeworksofsciencefiction[27])isthethirdplanetfrom
theSun,thedensestplanetintheSolarSystem,thelargestofthe
SolarSystem'sfourterrestrialplanets,andtheonlyastronomical
objectknowntoaccommodatelife.TheearliestlifeonEartharose
atleast3.5billionyearsago.[28][29][30]Earth'sbiodiversityhas
expandedcontinuallyexceptwheninterruptedbymass
extinctions.[31]Althoughscholarsestimatethatover99percentof
allspeciesthateverlivedontheplanetareextinct,[32][33]Earthis
currentlyhometo1014millionspeciesoflife,[34][35]including
over7.2billionhumans[36]whodependuponitsbiosphereand
minerals.Earth'shumanpopulationisdividedamongabouttwo
hundredsovereignstateswhichinteractthroughdiplomacy,
conflict,travel,tradeandcommunicationmedia.
Accordingtoevidencefromradiometricdatingandothersources,
Earthwasformedaroundfourandahalfbillionyearsago.Within
itsfirstbillionyears,[37]lifeappearedinitsoceansandbeganto
affectitsatmosphereandsurface,promotingtheproliferationof
aerobicaswellasanaerobicorganismsandcausingtheformation
oftheatmosphere'sozonelayer.Thislayerandthegeomagnetic
fieldblockedthemostlifethreateningpartsoftheSun'sradiation,
solifewasabletoflourishonlandaswellasinwater.[38]Since
then,thecombinationofEarth'sdistancefromtheSun,itsphysical
propertiesanditsgeologicalhistoryhaveallowedlifetothriveand
evolve.
Earth'slithosphereisdividedintoseveralrigidtectonicplatesthat
migrateacrossthesurfaceoverperiodsofmanymillionsofyears.
SeventyonepercentofEarth'ssurfaceiscoveredwithwater,[39]
withtheremainderconsistingofcontinentsandislandsthat
togetherhavemanylakesandothersourcesofwaterthatcontribute
tothehydrosphere.Earth'spolesaremostlycoveredwithicethat
includesthesolidiceoftheAntarcticicesheetandtheseaiceof
thepolaricepacks.Earth'sinteriorremainsactivewithasolidiron
innercore,aliquidoutercorethatgeneratesthemagneticfield,and
athicklayerofrelativelysolidmantle.
Earthgravitationallyinteractswithotherobjectsinspace,
especiallytheSunandtheMoon.DuringoneorbitaroundtheSun,
Earthrotatesaboutitsownaxis366.26times,creating365.26solar
daysoronesiderealyear.[n6]Earth'saxisofrotationistilted23.4
awayfromtheperpendicularofitsorbitalplane,producing
seasonalvariationsontheplanet'ssurfacewithaperiodofone
tropicalyear(365.24solardays).[40]TheMoonisEarth'sonly
naturalsatellite.ItbeganorbitingEarthabout
4.53billionyearsago.TheMoon'sgravitationalinteractionwith
Earthstimulatesoceantides,stabilizestheaxialtiltandgradually
slowstheplanet'srotation.
Earth
"TheBlueMarble"photographofEarth,takenduringthe
Apollo17lunarmissionin1972.
Orbitalcharacteristics
Epoch J2000[n1]
Aphelion
Perihelion
Eccentricity
Orbitalperiod
Averageorbital 29.78km/s[3]
speed
(107 200km/h)
Meananomaly 355.53deg[4]
Inclination
7.155degtoSun'sequator
1.57869deg[5]toinvariableplane
0.00005degtoJ2000ecliptic
Longitudeof
11.260 64deg[3]toJ2000ecliptic
ascendingnode
Argumentof
perihelion
Satellites
102.947 19deg[3]
Onenaturalsatellite
1070operationalartificialsatellites
21 000piecesofdebrisover10cm
insize (asof24October2013). [6]
Physicalcharacteristics
Contents
1Nameandetymology
2Compositionandstructure
2.1Shape
Meanradius
6 371.0km[7]
Equatorial
radius
6 378.1km[8][9]
Polarradius
6 356.8km[10]
Flattening
0.003 3528[11]
1/298.257222101(ETRS89)
2.2Chemicalcomposition
2.3Internalstructure
2.4Heat
Circumference
2.5Tectonicplates
2.6Surface
2.7Hydrosphere
2.8Atmosphere
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth#Hydrosphere
Surfacearea