The 25 Most Mind Blowing Facts About Planet Earth
Our planet Earth is an incredibly diverse and wondrous place full of natural beauty, complex ecosystems, and fascinating natural phenomena. As human knowledge advances, we continue to learn new and astonishing facts about the planet we call home. Here are 25 of the most mind blowing facts about planet Earth that will make you view our world in a whole new light.
- The Earth’s Rotation is Slowing Down
The rotation of the Earth is actually slowing down over time. Around 1.4 billion years ago, a single day on Earth would have lasted just over 18 hours. Scientists estimate that in about 140 million years, one day on Earth will equal 25 hours. This gradual slowing is caused by the moon's gravitational interactions with the Earth.
- There is Enough Water on Earth to Fill a Sphere 860 Miles Wide
If you were to gather all the water on Earth - from oceans, lakes, rivers, groundwater, ice caps, and more - you could fill a sphere around 860 miles in diameter! That's a huge amount of water considering how essential it is for survival. Yet when compared to the size of the Earth, all that water doesn't seem so vast after all.
- The Deepest Point on Earth is Called Challenger Deep
At nearly 36,000 feet deep in the western Pacific Ocean, Challenger Deep within the Mariana Trench is considered the deepest known point on the surface of the Earth's crust. To imagine how deep it is, Mount Everest would fit inside with over a mile of water to spare! The extreme water pressure in Challenger Deep is over 1000 times stronger than at sea level.
- Earth Has a Powerful Magnetic Field
Our planet is surrounded by a magnetic field that extends from the interior out into space. This field protects us by deflecting charged particles from the sun known as solar wind. Without this protection, those particles could strip away our atmosphere. The strength of Earth's magnetic field has weakened by about 5% over the past 200 years.
- One Plate Boundary is Growing 4 Inches Per Year
The Earth's crust is divided into gigantic slabs called tectonic plates that slowly slide over the mantle below. At plate boundaries, these plates either collide, pull apart, or slide past each other. The fastest moving plate boundary is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the Atlantic ocean, where the North American and Eurasian plates are spreading apart at a speed of 4 inches per year.
- The Earth is Estimated to Be 4.54 Billion Years Old
Based on evidence from radiometric dating of meteorites, moon rocks, and Earth rocks, scientists estimate our planet formed around 4.54 billion years ago along with the rest of the solar system. That's over 4540 million years, making the Earth amazingly ancient! For comparison, the first single-celled organisms didn't appear on Earth until about 3.5 billion years ago.
- 70% of the Earth's Surface is Covered By Water
Water is essential for all life on Earth, and luckily there is plenty to go around. Approximately 70% of the Earth's surface is covered by water, most of which exists in our planet's oceans. The Pacific Ocean alone covers around 30% of the planet. After ocean water, the next largest quantities are found in ice sheets and glaciers, underground, and in the atmosphere.
- There Are Over 1 Trillion Species on Earth
The incredible biodiversity of the Earth means scientists have so far documented over 1.2 million species. Estimates suggest that there are over 8.7 million species on the planet, with some studies predicting the total number could be up to 1 trillion! With so many species yet undiscovered, Earth's ecosystems are far more complex and interconnected than we realize.
- Earth Has 1,000 Times More Trees Than Stars in the Milky Way
Our planet contains way more trees than there are stars in the galaxy we live in. Scientists estimate there are over 3 trillion trees on Earth compared to around 200-400 billion stars within the Milky Way. With such huge numbers, it's astonishing that deforestation is so rampant across the world given how important trees are.
- Humans Share 50% of Their DNA With Bananas
All living organisms on Earth share a common ancestor if you trace their lineages back far enough. This means we share parts of our DNA with every other species, even plants! Humans share around 50% of the same DNA as bananas, just one example of the strange genetic overlaps between us and other life on Earth.
- Antarctica Holds 90% of the World's Ice
The continent of Antarctica may be devoid of much plant or animal life, but it makes up for this by holding a massive amount of the world's ice supply. About 90% of the planet's freshwater ice is located in the Antarctic ice sheet, which covers nearly 14 million square kilometers. The ice sheet averages a thickness of 7200 feet - that's over a mile of pure ice!
- Everest Isn't the Tallest Mountain on Earth
While Mount Everest has the highest elevation above sea level at 29035 feet, the tallest mountain on Earth from base to summit is actually Hawaii's Mauna Kea. Most of this dormant volcano sits below the ocean's surface, and if measured from the base, it reaches 33,500 feet. That's nearly a mile taller than Everest!
- The Amazon River Contains 20% of the World's Freshwater Rivers
The Amazon River in South America is so massive and so full of fresh water that its flow accounts for over 20% of the world's total river flow into oceans! Its drainage basin covers 40% of the South American continent. The Amazon also exceeds the width of the Mississippi River at its widest point.
- Over 1 Million Earthquakes Occur Each Year
Earthquakes are extremely common, especially when you consider that there are 1-3 million quakes worldwide every single year. Around 90% of them are so minor we don't even feel them! The reason for all this rumbling is that our planet's surface is broken into pieces that continue to move and shift over geologic timescales.
- The Hottest Temperature Ever Measured Was 2 Billion Degrees
The hottest temperature ever recorded didn't occur naturally on Earth, but rather in the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. When scientists smashed gold particles together at high velocities, they created a plasma with a recorded temperature of over 4 trillion degrees Fahrenheit - that's 40 times hotter than the center of the sun! Nothing comes remotely close to that level of heat anywhere in nature on Earth.
- There Are More Trees on Earth Than Stars in Our Galaxy
It's amazing to think the number of trees on our planet exceeds the number of stars within the Milky Way galaxy. Estimates suggest there are around 3.04 trillion trees on Earth compared to 200-400 billion stars in our galaxy. Trees play such a pivotal role in ecosystems all around the world, from forests to grasslands to wetlands.
- Earth's Molten Iron Core Creates a Magnetic Field
Deep underground, the Earth's core reaches temperatures of 9800°F – as hot as the surface of the sun! This allows the nickel and iron at the center of the planet to exist in a fluid state that creates our planet's magnetic field as it churns and rotates. This field is vital for deflecting dangerous cosmic radiation.
- Earth Is the Only Known Planet With Plate Tectonics
While other planets and celestial bodies in our solar system contain some tectonic activity, Earth is unique in that its outer shell is divided into multiple moving plates on the surface. The motion of these plates has a huge impact on geology, ocean currents, and more. Plate tectonics plays a key role in sustaining life on Earth too.
- 70 Lightning Strikes Hit the Earth Every Second
Lightning may only flash briefly, but it happens constantly all around the world. About 70 lightning strikes hit the Earth's surface every single second. That adds up to over 4 million strikes worldwide every day! The average lightning bolt carries 10 million volts – enough energy to power a typical household for 2 months.
- Oceans Hold Nearly 200,000 Different Viruses
Viruses are everywhere, but we tend to think of them more often on land than at sea. In reality, oceans contain a huge diversity of viruses - up to 200,000 different marine viral populations! That's more than some countries have people. Studying this abundance of ocean viruses is helping scientists learn about how viruses affect the environment.
- The Coldest Place on Earth is -144°F
If you think your winter is cold, be glad you don't live in Antarctica. Scientists measured the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth on the high ridge of the East Antarctic Plateau between Dome Argus and Dome Fuji. It reached the frigid low of -144°F (-98°C) back in 2010. Make sure to bundle up properly if visiting anywhere near that region!
- The Deepest Hole Ever Dug Reached 7.5 Miless
have excavated some impressively deep holes and mineshafts into the Earth's crust. But the deepest we've ever dug is the Kola Superdeep Borehole which extended 12,262 meters (40,230 feet) down into the Earth's crust. Temperatures reached 356°F (180°C)
 23. The Tallest Mountains on Earth are Underwater
The vast majority of the tallest mountains in the world are actually beneath the ocean's surface. The extinct volcano Mauna Loa in Hawaii may be the tallest mountain on Earth when measured from base to peak. Most of it sits deep below the Pacific Ocean.
 24. Earth is the Only Planet Not Named After a God
All the other planets in our solar system are named after Roman gods or goddesses. However, Earth is the only exception. The name Earth comes from Old English and Germanic words meaning simply "the ground". This makes Earth the only planet with a scientific name rather than a mythological name.
 25. A Year on Venus is Shorter Than its Day
Venus is one of Earth's closest planetary neighbors, but conditions on its surface are vastly different. A year on Venus takes only 225 Earth days to complete, but a single day on Venus lasts a whopping 243 Earth days! This strange reversal is due to Venus rotating very slowly while revolving around the sun more quickly.
In Conclusion, our planet Earth, the only home we've ever known, is an incredibly diverse, complex, and fascinating member of the solar system. There are endless astounding facts and statistics about the forces that shape Earth and the life that calls it home. The mind blowing geological features and numbers detailed above are only the tip of the iceberg of what makes our little blue marble such an amazing place. The more we learn about the Earth's atmosphere, ecosystems, evolutionary processes, and planetary mechanics, the more awe-inspiring our world becomes. What other mind blowing facts do you know about planet Earth? Share in the comments!