The Core (2003) Video Response Questions
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Dec 6, 2023
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The Core (2003) Video Response Questions
Disasters: Geology vs. Hollywood
Introduction
For reasons unknown, the earth's outer core has stopped rotating, causing the planet's electromagnetic
field to rapidly deteriorate. Instantly, life around the globe begins to change dramatically. In Boston, 32
people with pacemakers, all within a 10-block radius, suddenly drop dead. In San Francisco, the Golden
Gate Bridge collapses, sending hundreds of people plunging to their deaths. In London's Trafalgar
Square, flocks of pigeons lose their ability to navigate, flying into panicked crowds, slamming into
windshields and causing drivers to lose control of their cars. And in Rome, as thousands of tourists watch
helplessly, an electrical superstorm reduces the ancient Roman Colosseum to rubble. Scrambling to
resolve the crisis, government and military officials call upon geophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes and a team of
the world's most gifted scientists to travel into the earth's core in a subterranean craft piloted by
"terranauts" Major Rebecca "Beck" Childs and Commander Robert Iverson. Their mission: Detonate a
nuclear device that will reactivate the core and save the world from sure destruction.
-imdb.com
Learning Objective
●
Assess the validity/credibility of statements made in Hollywood movies.
(4, a)
●
Identify the correct geologic processes that would help explain scenes in Hollywood movies.
(1,
5, a, b)
Questions
During and after watching the video clips, answer the following questions. Add your answers
below and submit on Canvas.
1.
Dr. Keyes uses a cut peach to demonstrate the layers of the Earth. Other than the obvious issue
(which he kind of addresses) about there being no liquid outer core in the peach, do you think this
analogy is basically sound?
YES, it works nicely, we know the crust is very thin and relative to the mantel and core.
2.
List at least 3 consequences that Dr. Keyes says will result from the loss of the magnetic field.
Planes fall from the sky! All electronics fried! Electromagnetic storms! Microwave radiation
cooks the earth! (Massive panic/chaos/ dogs and cats living together)
3.
Based on what we talked about in lecture and the behavior of the magnetic field over the course
of Earth’s history, do you think Dr. Keyes’ prediction that “
life on Earth will end in a year
” is
realistic? Why or why not?
No…. We’ve had magnetic reversals in the Earth’s history without any associated extinction
events. Humans have also traveled outside of the magnetic field when the astronauts went to the
Moon, and they survived!
4.
The ship Virgil crashes inside a giant geode or “gem bubble” in the mantle. Could that large void
of empty space really exist at that depth? Explain your answer.
No, The pressure at that depth would be too great and would cause that gem bubble to collapse
5.
The terranauts encounter the giant geode at approximately 700 miles (roughly 1127 km) depth,
and they state that the temperature is 5000 degrees. They don’t specify whether that is Fahrenheit
or Celsius, but let’s assume Fahrenheit since he uses that earlier in the film. So, that’s roughly
2760 degrees Celsius. Is this an accurate temperature estimate for that depth (feel free to refer to
our lecture notes)?
Geothermal Gradient- Crust 25 degrees celsius/ km and the Manetle 1 degree C/ km They enter
at the subduction zone- the crust is thin there~ 15 km so 375 degrees C Then another 1085
degrees celsius for the rest of the journey, totalling 1460 degrees celsius.
So not quite what is portrayed here… About half as hot.
6.
At the end of the film (spoiler alert), our heroes do manage to save the world. Virgil emerges from
the Earth’s interior at “a space between some tectonic plates somewhere near Hawaii.” Why is
that impossible?
Because Hawaii is in the middle of a tectonic plate, The Pacific Plate.
7.
Describe anything else you saw in these clips that you think might be scientifically questionable.
Those suits were likely not enough to withstand the pressure at that depth. MRI used to image
the outside of the ship doesnt make sense
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