What are the sources of internal heat inside the Earth, and what roles do Primordial and Radiogenic heat play?
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Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the sources of internal heat within the Earth, focusing on Primordial and Radiogenic heat as well as the structure of the Earth.
Answer
Earth's internal heat is from radiogenic and primordial heat.
Earth's internal heat comes from radiogenic heat due to radioactive decay of isotopes, and primordial heat left over from Earth's formation. Radiogenic heat is generated in the mantle and crust, while primordial heat originates from the accretion and differentiation during Earth's early formation.
Answer for screen readers
Earth's internal heat comes from radiogenic heat due to radioactive decay of isotopes, and primordial heat left over from Earth's formation. Radiogenic heat is generated in the mantle and crust, while primordial heat originates from the accretion and differentiation during Earth's early formation.
More Information
Around half of Earth's internal heat comes from radiogenic processes, where isotopes like Uranium, Thorium, and Potassium decay, releasing heat. The other half is primordial, stemming from the planet's formation over 4.5 billion years ago.
Sources
- Earth's internal heat - Understanding Global Change - ugc.berkeley.edu
- Earth's internal heat budget - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org
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