C2. Earth and the Moon. «The Past, Present, and Possible Future of Humanity and the Biosphere»
C2-1. A "lucky" planet with a large moon C2-2. (Formation of the Moon) Appendix C2-3. (The "Apollo" Program) Appendix C2-4. (Inversions of Earth's Magnetic Field) Appendix C2-5. (The Search for Extraterrestrial Life)
...under construction...
Three video clips concerning the formation of the Moon as a result of the collision of Earth with Theia.
The author of the giant-impact hypothesis of the Moon's formation talks about his idea
Simulation plays an important role in studying how the collision with Theia might have occurred
An important feature of Earth is the presence of a magnetic field that shields against the solar wind
Its cause is the rotation of Earth's core, which results from the fact that the rotation of Earth's mantle has been slowed by the Moon
The energy of the Moon's motion is lost to tides and movements of Earth's crust
As a result, the Moon is gradually receding from Earth
One interesting consequence of this process is the lengthening of the day
The consequences of the absence of Earth's magnetic field are terrifying. These include harm to health...
... and the loss of the atmosphere
One of the reasons Mars became a dead planet is the loss of its atmosphere
Earth's magnetic field is not something constant...
Over time its intensity changes
In the past, inversions (reversals) of Earth's magnetic field have occurred
There are grounds to believe that in the near future Earth will experience another reversal of its magnetic field
Possibly, the processes related to this have already begun