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Earth’s core probably has a large fission reactor. Heaviest elements such as Uranium would naturally gravitate to the center during planet formation, high press
by garyclarke27 8y ago
Earth’s core probably has a large fission reactor.
Heaviest elements such as Uranium would naturally gravitate to the center during planet formation, high pressure and temperatures there provide ideal conditions for natural fission.
Explains heat source for volcanoes etc. Would be impossible for such tremendous heat to last 4 billion years from formation, without some kind of additional powerful energy source.
- franciscop 8y agoHere: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_internal_heat_budget https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_internal_heat_budget
- jessriedel 8y agoNatural fission is not thought by experts to play a substantive role in energy generated inside the Earth.
- brandmeyer 8y ago> Earth’s core probably has a large fission reactor. I'm pretty sure you've got "fission reactor" mixed up with "alpha decay heat". While you do technically get two different nuclei as the products of an alpha decay, fission is a different reaction.
- Symmetry 8y agoNot much in the way of neutron moderators so far below the Earth's surface, so I'd be skeptical. Now, natural radioactive decay of Uranium, etc, are a huge factor in keeping the Earth's core warm. It's just that nuclear chain reactions where one atom's decay sets off the next that isn't believed to be a factor.