Geoid Shape of Earth Quiz and Flashcards

Study Notes

Earth's Shape and Dimensions

The Earth's shape is described as a geoid, which means it is flattened at the poles and bulged at the equator.
The Equatorial diameter of the Earth is approximately 12,742 kilometers (7,918 miles).
The difference between the Equatorial diameter and the Polar diameter serves as proof for the Earth’s shape, with the Equatorial diameter being about 43 kilometers (27 miles) larger than the Polar diameter.
The Polar diameter of the Earth measures about 12,714 kilometers (7,900 miles).

Continents

There are a total of seven continents on Earth:
- Asia
- Africa
- North America
- South America
- Antarctica
- Europe
- Australia
The largest continent is Asia, covering about 44.58 million square kilometers (17.2 million square miles).
The smallest continent is Australia, with an area of approximately 7.69 million square kilometers (2.97 million square miles).

Oceans

There are five major oceans on Earth:
- Pacific Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Southern Ocean
- Arctic Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean, covering more than 63 million square miles (165 million square kilometers) and reaching depths of over 36,000 feet (nearly 11,000 meters) in the Mariana Trench.

Description

Test your knowledge on the Earth's geoid shape, an oblate spheroid with a flattened polar and bulged equatorial diameter. Learn about the continents and key measurements of the Earth's diameter and circumference.