| Topic: |
Religions > Atheism |
| User: |
"Uncle Clover" |
| Date: |
06 Jan 2007 12:51:00 AM |
| Object: |
Question regarding Earth's crust |
Got another cataclysmic Earth scenario. Suppose we were able to carve the
Earth's crust into large, flat chunks going all the way down to the magma and
propel them into space. Additionally, we were able to find enough water in the
depths of space that we could leave all of Earth's water behind. Once the
segments of the former crust are in orbit, they'd be smoothed off and polished
into something that would appear more or less like deliberate structures rather
than cataclysmic planetary ruins.
1. How long would it take for the Earth to cool down to the point where we
could feasibly begin seeding an ecosystem onto the new surface?
2. If we then died off, how would an alien happening upon the scene be able to
tell that the flat segmented layers orbiting the Earth had once been its crust?
3. How far from the new surface of the Earth would the current layer have to be
in order to remain in orbit more or less indefinitely? Would there be any
special arrangement of the crust segments that would work best?
Just querious...
--
L8r,
Uncle Clover
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The hardest person to say, "No!" to is to one's own self.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Who we were is meaningless in the face of who we are, and
who we are is but a stepping stone to who we shall become
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
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| User: "chibiabos" |
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| Title: Re: Question regarding Earth's crust |
07 Jan 2007 11:14:24 AM |
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In article <v4hup2teknqc1jsnu1qf7b6113ddc50ria@4ax.com>, Uncle Clover
<UncleClover@SpamMeNot.com> wrote:
Got another cataclysmic Earth scenario. Suppose we were able to
carve the Earth's crust into large, flat chunks going all the way
down to the magma and propel them into space. Additionally, we were
able to find enough water in the depths of space that we could leave
all of Earth's water behind. Once the segments of the former crust
are in orbit, they'd be smoothed off and polished into something that
would appear more or less like deliberate structures rather than
cataclysmic planetary ruins.
1. How long would it take for the Earth to cool down to the point
where we could feasibly begin seeding an ecosystem onto the new
surface?
The original cooling took around 100 million years. It's a very rough
estimate. This length of time was presumably extended by nearly
continuous bombardment of the Earth by meteors, etc., generating
considerable heat. Absent this bombardment, a 2nd cooling might take
significantly less time, but still more than you and I have.
2. If we then died off, how would an alien happening upon the scene
be able to tell that the flat segmented layers orbiting the Earth had
once been its crust?
We would almost certainly "die off." :) It would not be pleasant. :(
But the answer to your question is by chemical comparison.
Spectrographic analysis would show that the orbiting layers were so
similar to the planet as to once have been part of it. This is one way
we know that rocks coming from Mars or the Moon have landed on Earth.
3. How far from the new surface of the Earth would the current layer
have to be in order to remain in orbit more or less indefinitely?
Would there be any special arrangement of the crust segments that
would work best?
Look up Lagrangian Points.
-chib
--
Member of S.M.A.S.H.
Sarcastic Middle-aged Atheists with a Sense of Humor
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| User: "William Wingstedt" |
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| Title: Re: Question regarding Earth's crust |
06 Jan 2007 07:43:28 AM |
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On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 01:51:00 -0500, Uncle Clover
<UncleClover@SpamMeNot.com> wrote:
Got another cataclysmic Earth scenario. Suppose we were able to carve the
Earth's crust into large, flat chunks going all the way down to the magma and
propel them into space. Additionally, we were able to find enough water in the
depths of space that we could leave all of Earth's water behind. Once the
segments of the former crust are in orbit, they'd be smoothed off and polished
into something that would appear more or less like deliberate structures rather
than cataclysmic planetary ruins.
1. How long would it take for the Earth to cool down to the point where we
could feasibly begin seeding an ecosystem onto the new surface?
2. If we then died off, how would an alien happening upon the scene be able to
tell that the flat segmented layers orbiting the Earth had once been its crust?
3. How far from the new surface of the Earth would the current layer have to be
in order to remain in orbit more or less indefinitely? Would there be any
special arrangement of the crust segments that would work best?
Just querious...
--
L8r,
Uncle Clover
Presumably, having the technology to peel the crust off the planet, we
would also be able to generate the additional magnetic field that
would be necessary to protect both the crustal remnants and the
remaining core to the extent required for life to continue. By
promoting and accelerating the cooling of the molten core, mightn't
you damage the dynamo responsible for generating the field we enjoy
now?
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| User: "AZ Nomad" |
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| Title: Re: Question regarding Earth's crust |
06 Jan 2007 12:11:41 PM |
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On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 13:43:28 GMT, William Wingstedt <William_Wingstedt@comcast.net> wrote:
Presumably, having the technology to peel the crust off the planet, we
would also be able to generate the additional magnetic field that
would be necessary to protect both the crustal remnants and the
remaining core to the extent required for life to continue. By
promoting and accelerating the cooling of the molten core, mightn't
you damage the dynamo responsible for generating the field we enjoy
now?
Magnetic fields only work on ferrous masses.
Ever tried to pick up glass of water with a hand magnet. Doesn't work
too terribly well.
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| User: "John Popelish" |
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| Title: Re: Question regarding Earth's crust |
06 Jan 2007 12:53:07 PM |
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AZ Nomad wrote:
Magnetic fields only work on ferrous masses.
Ever tried to pick up glass of water with a hand magnet. Doesn't work
too terribly well.
The magnetic field of Earth is not a result of iron's
ferromagnetic properties, since the core is well above
iron's Curie temperature, where it loses all ferro
magnetism. You cannot pick up a red hot piece of iron with
a magnet any more than you can pick up water.
The magnetic field of Earth is thought to be a product of
the conductivity and circulation of the liquid core, acting
as a self exciting dynamo. See:
http://www.es.ucsc.edu/~glatz/geodynamo.html
Once the core freezes and no longer circulates, this dynamo
will cease to operate and Earth's magnetic field will have a
tiny fraction of its present strength, a fossil of its
former field trapped in cool surface iron minerals, like the
signal trapped in magnetic recording tape.
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| User: "William Wingstedt" |
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| Title: Re: Question regarding Earth's crust |
07 Jan 2007 08:31:12 AM |
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On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 18:11:41 GMT, AZ Nomad
<aznomad.2@PremoveOBthisOX.COM> wrote:
On Sat, 06 Jan 2007 13:43:28 GMT, William Wingstedt <William_Wingstedt@comcast.net> wrote:
Presumably, having the technology to peel the crust off the planet, we
would also be able to generate the additional magnetic field that
would be necessary to protect both the crustal remnants and the
remaining core to the extent required for life to continue. By
promoting and accelerating the cooling of the molten core, mightn't
you damage the dynamo responsible for generating the field we enjoy
now?
Magnetic fields only work on ferrous masses.
Ever tried to pick up glass of water with a hand magnet. Doesn't work
too terribly well.
Why, come to think of it, I haven't. But with a suitably shaped hand
magnet, I don't think I'd have any trouble at all...perhaps the molten
core is not a ferrous mass?
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| User: "Elroy Willis" |
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| Title: Re: Question regarding Earth's crust |
06 Jan 2007 06:35:24 AM |
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Uncle Clover <UncleClover@SpamMeNot.com> wrote in alt.atheism
Got another cataclysmic Earth scenario. Suppose we were able to carve the
Earth's crust into large, flat chunks going all the way down to the magma and
propel them into space.
Hold the fort. Propel them into space how, exactly?
Additionally, we were able to find enough water in the depths of space that
we could leave all of Earth's water behind. Once the segments of the former
crust are in orbit, they'd be smoothed off and polished into something that
would appear more or less like deliberate structures rather
than cataclysmic planetary ruins.
1. How long would it take for the Earth to cool down to the point where we
could feasibly begin seeding an ecosystem onto the new surface?
2. If we then died off, how would an alien happening upon the scene be able to
tell that the flat segmented layers orbiting the Earth had once been its crust?
3. How far from the new surface of the Earth would the current layer have to be
in order to remain in orbit more or less indefinitely? Would there be any
special arrangement of the crust segments that would work best?
Just querious...
You working on some kinda sci-fi story or something?
--
Elroy Willis
www.elroysemporium.com
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| User: "Budikka666" |
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| Title: Re: Question regarding Earth's crust |
06 Jan 2007 01:20:27 PM |
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Uncle Clover wrote:
Got another cataclysmic Earth scenario. Suppose we were able to carve the
Earth's crust into large, flat chunks
Earth isn't flat! ;)
going all the way down to the magma and
I can see Mike Myers as Dr. Evil saying that right now....
propel them into space. Additionally, we were able to find enough water in the
depths of space that we could leave all of Earth's water behind.
Not a problem to find it, although getting it might be!
Once the
segments of the former crust are in orbit, they'd be smoothed off and polished
into something that would appear more or less like deliberate structures rather
than cataclysmic planetary ruins.
By immigrant labor?
1. How long would it take for the Earth to cool down to the point where we
could feasibly begin seeding an ecosystem onto the new surface?
2. If we then died off, how would an alien happening upon the scene be able to
tell that the flat segmented layers orbiting the Earth had once been its crust?
3. How far from the new surface of the Earth would the current layer have to be
in order to remain in orbit more or less indefinitely? Would there be any
special arrangement of the crust segments that would work best?
Just querious...
--
L8r,
Uncle Clover
The "experiment" has already been done, after a fashion!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/298157.stm
The best evidence available at present suggests an object the size of
Mars hit Earth and the result was the Moon. And the Moon certainly
doesn't look like a "cataclysmic planetary ruin".
But if you cut off the current crust and moved it into space,
everything living on it would die. There really aren't any places you
could cut where there are no living things. If you cut all the crust
and moved it into space (and everything therefore died), from where
would you "re-seed" the remaining planet?
How would you prevent the existing oceans from flowing into the
"cut-outs" and boiling away into space?
And why on Earth (quite literally!) would you want to do this even if
you could?
Budikka
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