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Old 29-September-2008, 05:17 PM
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Hornblower Hornblower is offline
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Originally Posted by rodin View Post
why must it slow down with depth?
Why not? Please try to show us, in an appropriate mathematical treatment of heat capacity and heat flow in an iron core and silicate mantle/crust, why you think it should have a steeper temperature gradient down there.
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Why assume 7000 deg C?
It is not assumed. It is inferred by geophysicists on the basis of aforementioned thermodynamic characteristics.
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What would be the consequence of a core many times hotter than current estimates for matter down there? Could matter be collapsed or supercondensed? Is there a big fission reactor down there?
My educated guess is that the surface would be much hotter, and that we would not be here to speculate about anything.
Quote:
Plenty to chew on
Plenty to spit out, because it tastes bad. Sorry, I could not resist a wisecrack.