Everything Earth

Question: What is the average surface temperature of Earth?

Answer: The average surface temperature on Earth is 57 ºF (14 ºC). It would be well below freezing were it not for greenhouse gases that trap warm air in the atmosphere.

Question: Who was the first person to orbit Earth?

Answer: On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to circle Earth in space. John Glenn followed on February 20, 1962.

Question: What is the reflectivity of Earth’s surface called?

Answer: The albedo effect refers to the reflectivity of Earth’s surface. About 30 percent of shortwave radiation is bounced back into space by clouds, dust, snow, and ice.

Question: Which of these is not part of Earth’s crust?

Answer: The ionosphere is part of Earth’s atmosphere. The sima and sial are the upper crust, and the "Moho" discontinuity is at the base of the crust.

Question: What is Earth’s predominant environment?

Answer: Most of the world is covered by water, and most of that water is about 13,123 feet deep. Deep ocean is therefore the world’s most common environment.

Question: What is diatomaceous earth made of?

Answer: Diatomaceous earth is made from the fossilized remains of tiny marine organisms, particularly diatoms. It is used as a natural insecticide.

Question: Earth revolves this many meters per second at the equator:

Answer: Earth revolves 1,532 feet per second (467 meters per second) at the equator.

Question: Which of these is not part of Earth?

Answer: The stratosphere is part of Earth’s atmosphere, but not part of Earth itself. The other three are the planet’s layers.

Question: How old is sunlight by the time it reaches Earth?

Answer: It takes 8 minutes for sunlight to travel from the Sun to Earth.

Question: How much of the Earth is covered with oceans?

Answer: About 71 percent, or nearly three-quarters, of our planet’s surface is covered with oceans.