What if evolution and creation are both true

Gracchus · #21 16th March 2009, 03:41 AM

Originally Posted by shinbits

but the heat is being lost the moment it's created. if there's no atmosphere, there's no reason why it should take millions of years to cool. I'm not arguing against the age of the earth, science clearly shows it's around 4 billion. But I just don't see why the earth would be cooling for millions of years when there's no atmosphere.

The atmosphere doesn't hasten cooling it slows cooling. Heat, instead of all being lost to space by direct radiation, is absorbed by the atmosphere. Some of the atmospheric heat becomes turbulence (wind) and some evaporates water. It is the combination of turbulence and humidity that produces pricipitation.

Originally Posted by shinbits

cars exist on a planet with an atmosphere, which traps heat. when the earth was being formed, there was no atmosphere.

The impact of meteors and comets during the formation of the Earth released immense amounts of heat. Radioactive decay elements in the rock released more heat. Radiation from the sun also added heat. None of these processes required an atmosphere, although the Earth undoubtedly had some sort of atmosphere from the beginning. In any case, the Earth as a whole, loses heat by radiation.

The lithosphere loses heat by radiation. The atmosphere absorbs some of that heat, but the atmosphere also loses heat by radiation. Eventually equilibrium is established and the heat absorbed and generated equals the heat lost. But greenhouse gasses mean a warmer atmosphere, and some of that warming is lost to the hydrosphere which causes changes in the currents in the oceans.

Scientists are now predicting that the slowing of the Gulf Stream that will accompany the warming Atlantic will raise the sea level in the northeastern US by an additional 8" over the 2-3' rise caused by melting of the ice caps.

In any case, an atmosphere is not necessary for warming or cooling of the planet, although it may moderate the processes.

shinbits · #22 16th March 2009, 04:02 AM

Originally Posted by Gracchus

The impact of meteors and comets during the formation of the Earth released immense amounts of heat. Radioactive decay elements in the rock released more heat. Radiation from the sun also added heat. None of these processes required an atmosphere, although the Earth undoubtedly had some sort of atmosphere from the beginning.

The Earth loses heat by radiation. The atmosphere absorbs some of that heat, but the atmosphere also loses heat by radiation. Eventually equilibrium is established and the heat absorbed and generated equals the heat lost. But greenhouse gasses mean a warmer atmosphere, and some of that warming is lost to the hydrosphere which causes changes in the currents in the oceans.

Scientists are now predicting that the slowing of the Gulf Stream that will accompany the warming Atlantic will raise the sea level in the northeastern US by an additional 8" over the 2-3' rise caused by melting of the ice caps.

In any case, an atmosphere is not necessary for warming or cooling of the planet, although it may moderate the processes.

okay. so the rocks that colllided with earth at the begginning were likely radio-active, correct? That would certainly lengthen the time it would take for earth to cool. Thanks.