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ABC News Dr Karl discusses the Earths heat video

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Graphic image of the core of the Earth
ABC News Dr Karl discusses the Earths heat video

SUBJECTS:  Science

YEARS:  5–6, 9–10


Discover the activities deep within the Earth that could seriously impact life on Earth far into the future.

Watch this video to find out about the sources of the Earth's own heat. Dr Karl explains clearly just what is below the Earth's surface and what is happening there.

As well, he talks about changes in the Sun and how they could affect some planets in the future.


Things to think about

  1. 1.What is below the surface of the Earth's crust (its surface)? Can you remember seeing any images that reveal the layers of the Earth, showing its interior structure? Are layers solid? What are they made of?
  2. 2.How does Dr Karl describe the temperature of the Earth's core? At what rate is the inner core of the Earth expanding? What is the inner core composed of? What planets does Dr Karl say will be engulfed (swallowed) by the Sun many years into the future? What does he say will eventually happen to the Sun?
  3. 3.What does Dr Karl mean when he says the Earth's surface is like a postage stamp on a soccer ball? Our Sun is a 'main sequence' star. Find out more about its life cycle and what that has to do with hydrogen. Draw the progression of the Sun's stages, from its birth to when it will eventually exhaust its hydrogen supply.
  4. 4.Create an image (on paper or using appropriate software you're familiar with) that shows the main layers of the Earth's interior. You'll need to show clearly what the relative temperatures of the layers are, so using colour coding and a legend would be a good idea. Find out what causes earthquakes and volcanoes, including what is happening below the Earth's crust.



Date of broadcast: 9 Dec 2012


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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