RATES Our current best estimate is that the western Grand Canyon in Arizona began to be excavated by river erosion about 6 million years ago. The greatest depth of the Grand Canyon is about 1.6 km. A. What is the mean (average) rate that the Grand Canyon has been eroded into the Colorado Plateau during the past 6 million years, expressed in millimeters per year? Show your work below. B. If erosion of the Grand Canyon proceeded at that rate during the most recent century, how much deeper is it today than it was on the day you were born? Show your work. 2. During Earth’s very early history, our planet was whacked by meteorites large and small, and eventually grew to its current size. Earth probably went through a period in which it was molten from near the surface to its center. Throughout its history, Earth has been hotter at its center than at its outer surface. In caves just below Earth’s ground surface in continental crust, the temperature tends to be a constant -15 degrees c- (59 degrees f) That’s why people use caves for wine storage. The deepest mine on Earth is currently the Mponeg gold mine just southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, which reaches just over 4 km below the surface. At the bottom of that mine, the rock temperature reaches 151 degrees F Using the cave temperature to represent the surface temperature of the crust at depth, what is the rate at which temperature changes in Earth between 0 and 4 km—the near-surface geothermal gradient? _________ degrees c/km The temperature at the bottom of the lithosphere in Earth is often inferred to be around 1300 degrees celsius If we assume a depth to the base of the lithosphere of 100 km, what is a reasonable estimate for the geothermal gradient between 0 km and 100 km? degrees c/km The center of Earth at an average depth of 6371 km below the surface has a temperature that has been estimated to be approximately 6000 degrees C. What is the average geothermal gradient from Earth’s surface to its center? Write a brief statement of a hypothesis you think might best explain the variation in the geothermal gradient within Earth.

RATES Our current best estimate is that the western Grand Canyon in Arizona began to be excavated by river erosion about 6 million years ago. The greatest depth of the Grand Canyon is about 1.6 km. A. What is the mean (average) rate that the Grand Canyon has been eroded into the Colorado Plateau during the past 6 million years, expressed in millimeters per year? Show your work below. B. If erosion of the Grand Canyon proceeded at that rate during the most recent century, how much deeper is it today than it was on the day you were born? Show your work. 2. During Earth’s very early history, our planet was whacked by meteorites large and small, and eventually grew to its current size. Earth probably went through a period in which it was molten from near the surface to its center. Throughout its history, Earth has been hotter at its center than at its outer surface. In caves just below Earth’s ground surface in continental crust, the temperature tends to be a constant -15 degrees c- (59 degrees f) That’s why people use caves for wine storage. The deepest mine on Earth is currently the Mponeg gold mine just southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, which reaches just over 4 km below the surface. At the bottom of that mine, the rock temperature reaches 151 degrees F Using the cave temperature to represent the surface temperature of the crust at depth, what is the rate at which temperature changes in Earth between 0 and 4 km—the near-surface geothermal gradient? _________ degrees c/km The temperature at the bottom of the lithosphere in Earth is often inferred to be around 1300 degrees celsius If we assume a depth to the base of the lithosphere of 100 km, what is a reasonable estimate for the geothermal gradient between 0 km and 100 km? degrees c/km The center of Earth at an average depth of 6371 km below the surface has a temperature that has been estimated to be approximately 6000 degrees C. What is the average geothermal gradient from Earth’s surface to its center? Write a brief statement of a hypothesis you think might best explain the variation in the geothermal gradient within Earth.

Applications and Investigations in Earth Science (9th Edition)

9th Edition

ISBN:9780134746241

Author:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa

Publisher:Edward J. Tarbuck, Frederick K. Lutgens, Dennis G. Tasa

Chapter1: The Study Of Minerals

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1LR

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Question

RATES
1. Our current best estimate is that the western Grand Canyon in Arizona began to be excavated by river erosion about 6 million years ago. The greatest depth of the Grand Canyon is about 1.6 km.
  
  A. What is the mean (average) rate that the Grand Canyon has been eroded into the Colorado Plateau during the past 6 million years, expressed in millimeters per year? Show your work below.
  
  B. If erosion of the Grand Canyon proceeded at that rate during the most recent century, how much deeper is it today than it was on the day you were born? Show your work. 2. During Earth’s very early history, our planet was whacked by meteorites large and small, and eventually grew to its current size. Earth probably went through a period in which it was molten from near the surface to its center. Throughout its history, Earth has been hotter at its center than at its outer surface.
  1. In caves just below Earth’s ground surface in continental crust, the temperature tends to be a constant -15 degrees c- (59 degrees f) That’s why people use caves for wine storage. The deepest mine on Earth is currently the Mponeg gold mine just southwest of Johannesburg, South Africa, which reaches just over 4 km below the surface. At the bottom of that mine, the rock temperature reaches 151 degrees F Using the cave temperature to represent the surface temperature of the crust at depth, what is the rate at which temperature changes in Earth between 0 and 4 km—the near-surface geothermal gradient? _________ degrees c/km
  2. The temperature at the bottom of the lithosphere in Earth is often inferred to be around 1300 degrees celsius If we assume a depth to the base of the lithosphere of 100 km, what is a reasonable estimate for the geothermal gradient between 0 km and 100 km? degrees c/km
  3. The center of Earth at an average depth of 6371 km below the surface has a temperature that has been estimated to be approximately 6000 degrees C. What is the average geothermal gradient from Earth’s surface to its center?
  4. Write a brief statement of a hypothesis you think might best explain the variation in the geothermal gradient within Earth.