We know it. The Earth is more than 4.5 billion years old.
Then, about 3.8 billion years ago, single-cell organisms were born.
About 230 million years ago, dinosaurs roamed the Earth until they died and were replaced by early humans about 200,000 years ago.
That’s a lot of history, and we humans have only been here for a sliver of that history.
Many humans don’t stop to think about the ground they stand on and all that it has been through. Well, here are a few neat things about your big blue ball sailing through the sky.
That’s right. Sailing. Because right now, we are traveling through space at about 66,000 MPH. Earth spins at about 1,000 miles per hour and is currently moving through space at about 66,000 miles per hour around the sun. In fact, our entire solar system is moving at around 560,000 mile per hour—but since we are in a constant state of motion, we are unable to feel it.
So, hold on tight. I have a few more tidbits for you.
Like.
Did you know that the driest place on Earth is in Antarctica and it hasn’t experienced rain in 2 million years?
It is true. The driest spot on Earth is located in a roughly 1,850 square mile area in Antarctica appropriately named Dry Valleys. There are bodies of water but there is relatively no ice or snow. Thanks to heavy winds that take moisture elsewhere and a lack of rain for 2 million years means there is a zero net gain of water in the area.
So bring a canteen, I suppose.
Speaking of no water. How about the opposite?
Because around these parts, we have a different kind of reality. You see, each year, one million billion cubic feet of snow falls from the sky. Yes. Each year.
Scientists estimate that one million billion (that’s 15 zeros) cubic feet of snow fall from the sky across the globe every year. All that snow is said to also weigh a million billion kilograms, with about one billion ice crystals in every cubic foot. Whether all snowflakes are indeed not alike is still under debate.
That snow falls downward to Earth. In part because of gravity. Yes, glorious gravity. But. Gravity does not act the same everywhere on Earth. No. No. That is because the Earth is always moving. As such, gravity is not the same all over.
For instance. You would weigh slightly more at Earth’s poles than at the equator. That is why Santa is so fat. Also. There are also places where gravity is extremely different, such as Hudson Bay in Canada. Scientists believe convection currents from Earth’s mantle have something to do with this. Or some other anomaly. Like at those nine vortexes on Earth. We experience the wonky, and the scientists continue to postulate.
Yes. The “Unknown.” Which brings me to my favorite Earth fact.
The Earth’s oceans are so large and deep that humans have only explored 5% of them.
Much of the planet’s sea floor can’t be measured because water interferes with radio waves. Although technology has allowed humanity to create maps of all the Earth’s oceans with a resolution of up to about three miles, we are able to make clearer and more accurate maps of the moon, Mars, and Venus.
Also, our planet is 71% covered by water.
Most of you probably know most of these. But I still like to be reminded how incredible our home is. I only wish everyone in the world was taking care of our world. So we could keep living here.
“””””””””
“Earth’s crammed with heaven…
But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.”
― Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh
“”””””””””
“Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads.”
― Henry David Thoreau, Walden
“”””””””””””
“Everybody wants to save the Earth; nobody wants to help Mom do the dishes.”
― P.J. O’Rourke, All the Trouble in the World
“”””””””””””””
This big place and its bigger stories
