Earth Day

Earth is the third planet from the Sun in a solar system positioned within a corner of the Milky Way galaxy, itself one of countless billions of galaxies strewn across the vastness of the cosmic canvas.

It’s a mesmerizing orb of life and diversity. A blue and green jewel, spinning quietly on its axis. With a diameter of approximately 12,742 kilometers (7,917 miles), Earth hosts a range of landscapes, from towering mountains to sprawling plains, lush forests to barren deserts, with vast oceans that cover 70.8% of its surface. Its atmosphere, composed mainly of nitrogen and oxygen, extends hundreds of kilometers above its surface, providing vital air for breathing and moderating its climate.

Earth's geology is a mosaic of ancient history, with tectonic plates constantly shifting and reshaping the continents over millions of years, leaving behind majestic mountain ranges, deep valleys, and fertile plains. Its biosphere teems with an astonishing array of life forms, from the smallest microorganisms to the largest mammals, each intricately woven into the fabric of ecosystems that sustain life in all its forms. As the currently only known planet with the right conditions to support life, Earth is a precious and fragile oasis in the infinite darkness of space.

Oh, and it’s also the place where we all live.

“Earth Day” happens every April 22nd.  Established in 1970, it’s been used to highlight our planet’s environmental challenges and raise awareness of the importance of protecting our world for future generations. But shouldn’t every day be Earth Day? Most of us don’t stop to think about the ground we’re standing on, the air we’re breathing, or the water we’re drinking because life is just too busy. That’s why, this week we thought we’d take a look at some mind-blowing facts, figures, and phenomenon about planet Earth along with a look at how soon we may start running out of certain things. Some you may already know, some you may find surprising, but all should give us pause to look a bit closer at this place we call home with our eyes wide open.

Neither Flat nor Round: This might sound like an elaborate joke, but we’re actually serious here. While the Earth isn’t flat, it’s also not perfectly round either. Earth’s rotation causes the planet to bulge at the equator and flatten at the poles, while the distribution of mass on Earth (which is not perfectly uniform) causes small variations in the gravitational pull at different locations on the planet. These variations are too small to be seen in pictures of Earth from space, so it appears round to the human eye. The fact that the Earth itself has a “spare tire” around its middle may be of some consolation to those of us who might be said to have the same.

And Speaking of Weight: Did you know that you would weigh less if you were at the equator than if you were standing at one of the poles? Well, it’s true because you would experience less gravity at the equator. While standing at the equator you’re further away from the bulk of Earth’s mass than at the poles, so the planet exerts less pull on you. But don’t quit your diet and move to Indonesia or Brazil just yet: an object at the equator weighs a mere 0.5 percent less than at the poles - less than a pound for anyone under 200 pounds.

Hot & Cold: The hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth's surface was 134 degrees F (56.67degrees C) at the aptly named Furnace Creek in Death Valley, California in 1913. Temperatures at or above 130 degrees F (54.44 C) have only been recorded on Earth a handful of times, mostly in Death Valley.

The coldest temperature ever recorded was at Antarctica's Vostok station in 1983, a bone chilling minus 128.6 degrees F (minus 89.2 degrees C).

Size Does Matter: The largest volcanic eruption ever recorded occurred in 1815 when Mount Tambora in Indonesia erupted. Tambora stood over 14,000 feet high in 1815, but when it blew its stack, it hurled more than 4,000 feet off the top of it, leaving a crater more than four miles across and 2,000 feet deep.

It's believed up to 90,000 people were killed in the aftermath of the blast which was heard more than 1,200 miles away. The Tambora eruption is ranked a 7 (super-colossal) on the Volcano Explosivity Index (VEI), the second-highest rating in the index.

Such eruptions propel quantities of sulphureous gases into the stratosphere, where they combine with water vapor to create 'aerosol' clouds of drops of sulphuric acid. The Tambora eruption was so large it caused unusual phenomena around the globe. In the north-eastern United States in the spring and summer of 1815 the sunlight was dimmed and reddened by periods of fog, which wind and rain did not disperse. It was described as a kind of aerosol veil. London experienced spectacular sunsets at the turn of June and July, which are thought to have influenced paintings by Turner. Mary Shelley, vacationing in Switzerland in June 1816 with Lord Byron and friends, were all trapped inside due to the bad weather, began the writing of Frankenstein.

The largest, most powerful earthquake ever recorded happened May 22, 1960, when a 9.5 magnitude tremor shook Valdivia in southern Chile. Thousands of buildings were destroyed and up to 2 million people were left homeless.

A series of tsunamis were generated by the quake, killing as many as 6,000 people. The tsunamis traveled across the Pacific Ocean at a speed of more than 200 miles per hour. 15 hours after the earthquake, 35 feet high waves swept across Hawaii killing 61 people. 22 hours after the quake, 18 feet high tsunami waves reached Japan destroying 1600 homes and killing 185 people.

Speaking of Volcano’s: Wind can catch individual droplets of lava from a volcanic eruption and stretch them into long, thin glass wires. These strands - called Pele's Hair - can reach as long as 6 feet. 

Named for Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes it's a phenomenon also found in Norway, where it's known as Witch’s Hair.  

Salt: In the southwestern corner of Bolivia, about an hour’s flight from La Paz, the blinding white Salar de Uyuni salt flat stretches for more than 4,500 square miles. There is no place else like it in the world. At nearly 12,000 feet above sea level, the Salar dazzles the eye and plays optical tricks on you with what look like white hexagonal tiles of salt that seem to go on forever.

Salar de Uyuni is both the world’s largest salt flat – containing as much as 10 billion tons of salt - as well as home to half the planet’s lithium, a key component in most batteries.

Thermokarst Lakes: Thousands of flammable lakes are popping up all over Alaska and Siberia. That's because rising global temperatures are creating these thermokarst lakes as well as the perfect storm for our changing climate. These lakes are usually found in areas that have been stuck in permafrost for millennia. As they melt, they belch highly combustible methane that rises to the surface, meaning with a well-placed spark, you can set these lakes on fire.

But it’s not the water that’s flammable, it’s actually the highly flammable methane gas that’s bubbling up from the lake floor. And methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas, 25 times more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.

Bloody Falls: In 1911, a geologist on the ultimately doomed Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole discovered a five-story-tall, blood-red waterfall in the middle of the frozen Antarctic desert lands. The area, known as the McMurdo Dry Valleys, is the largest ice-free region on the continent, and one of the coldest, driest, most Mars-like places on Earth. The so-called Blood Falls ooze from a crack in Taylor Glacier onto the ice-covered Lake Bonney.

Twice as salty as seawater, the red brine never freezes. Why is it so red? It's due to the extremely rich presence of iron in the water, which oxidizes and turns crimson when exposed to air. Sensors detected a 185-meter-long lake beneath the surface near Blood Falls. Nearly devoid of oxygen and trapped a quarter mile down for 2 million years, the lake nevertheless harbors life, which appears to use sulfate instead of oxygen for respiration.

Rainbow Trees: Hailing from the Philippines and Indonesia, the rainbow eucalyptus, also known as the rainbow gum, is probably the most colorful tree on Earth. Sort of a botanical kaleidoscope.

Its striped look is caused by bark turning colors and peeling as it ages. The youngest bark is bright green because it contains chlorophyll (usually found in leaves), then turns first purple then a rusty red then burnt orange as it gets older, loses chlorophyll, and picks up tannins (also found in wine). The trees grow fast, more than three feet per year, and can reach heights of more than 240 feet. In an ironic twist, huge amounts of rainbow eucalyptus wood pulp are turned into white paper every year.

Bright Red Lake Natron: Tanzania’s Lake Natron, in Africa’s Great Rift Valley, practically sends a warning with its color. This bright red lake is the world’s most caustic body of water, but not to everything. An endemic species of fish, the alkaline tilapia, lives along the edges of the hot spring inlets, and the lake actually derives its color from salt-loving microorganisms that thrive in its alkaline waters. Spirulina, a blue-green algae with red pigments, passes its pigments along to the Lesser Flamingoes that feed on the algae and raise their young here.

Volcanic ash from the Great Rift Valley has collected in local lake basins, creating a network of soda lakes hostile to most organisms. This forbidding environment enables Lake Natron to serve millions of flamingoes as the ideal nursery; would-be predators avoid the saline lake and leave young birds in peace. Flamingoes must exercise caution, however, because the lake can turn deadly even to them. Animals that do die in the lake end up so coated in baking soda that they look as though they’ve been turned to stone.

Depending on rainfall, its alkalinity can approach that of straight ammonia, and when the lake is flooded with water that has heated underground, its temperature can reach a scalding 60 degrees Celsius (140 F).

Cloned Trees: What looks like a forest is actually a group of genetically identical trees. This grove, nicknamed Pando (Latin for “I spread”), stretches across more than 100 acres in central Utah in the United States. It’s considered one of the largest – by area – and most massive living organisms on Earth.

Although the grove looks like it’s made up of 47,000 trees from above, it’s actually a collection of shoots that all come from a single organism, called the quaking aspen, named after its fluttery leaves. The quaking aspen grows into groves of identical clones and, though the origin mother stem is likely dead, based on analyses of how long it takes aspens to grow and to sprout, estimates of its genetic makeup range from 80,000 to one million years old, making it one of earth’s most ancient living organisms.  

Spotted Lake: Canada’s enigmatic Lake Khiluk (aka Spotted Lake), near Osoyoos, British Columbia could also be called Doubletake Lake since that's likely what many people do when they witness this odd body of "water."

Its spots result from a high concentration of a number of different minerals, including magnesium sulfate, calcium, and sodium sulfates. At least a dozen other minerals are found in the lake's water in varying concentrations. By late summer, much of the water evaporates and only a mineral stew remains. It's primarily crystals of magnesium sulfate that contributes to the spotty appearance. Different minerals yield different colors. Spotted Lake was once sacred to Indian tribes in the area, perhaps because the high mineral content had therapeutic qualities.

Glowing Beaches: From Hong Kong to California, there are some beautiful - and unique - beaches that glow neon blue at night.

This natural phenomenon is caused by phytoplankton (a type of microalgae that float at the surface of the ocean water). They emit a bright blue light after they become agitated by wave movements or nearby swimming fish.

Ball Lightening: Ball lightning is a rare phenomenon that appears in glowing orbs with little zappy tendrils that seems to occur during thunderstorms, usually following a lightning strike. They tend to move slowly and erratically, leaving behind smoke trails and vary from grapefruit-sized to several meters in diameter.

They seem to be pretty short-lived before they vanish. These floating fireballs can shine as brightly as a 100-watt lightbulb; and have been observed as white, yellow, orange, red or blue in color. There's no scientific explanation for balls of lightning.

Fallstreak Holes: These most-rare weather events are also known as a 'hole punch' clouds. They appear as a large gap or open area, usually circular or elliptical, in cirrocumulus or altocumulus clouds.

How the hole opens is what makes this event rare. The water temperature in the clouds has to be below freezing, but the water is still hovering on the brink of being frozen. It is theorized that any introduction of extra ice crystals sets off a domino effect of fusion. Passing aircraft leave a large reduction in pressure behind their wings and this cools the air very quickly, creating a ribbon of ice crystals in their wake. When these crystals meet the fallstreak area, they find themselves surrounded by the unfrozen droplets which grow quickly. The droplets evaporate and the hole is created. Because of their rarity and unusual appearance, fallstreak holes have been mistaken for or attributed to unidentified flying objects.

The Green Flash: No, we’re not talking about a fictional superhero. It's a sight seen by few, but one which mariners have told tales of for centuries, often hailing their observations as a sign of good luck or, more eerily, as evidence that a soul has returned from the dead. But the green flash is a very real, though very rare, phenomenon.

The green flash is technically an optical illusion, which occurs due to the refraction of sunlight in the atmosphere. Acting like a prism, the atmosphere separates the sunlight into its various colors, with the shorter wavelengths such as blue and violet refracting more strongly than the longer wavelengths such as yellow, orange or red. As green light has a more mid-range wavelength, it is left as the most visible color when the majority of the Sun is below the horizon, resulting in what appears to be a green flash. When conditions are just right at the end of a sunset, the upper limb of the Sun changes color to a distinct green, only for about one or two seconds. The phenomenon can also happen at sunrise, though this is less common. You can even hear mention of it in The Pirates of the Caribbean.  

Magnets on the Move: Washington, D.C. may be gridlocked, but Earth's magnetic north pole is on the move. Recently, it's been traveling at an unprecedented rate. That pushed scientists to update a vital navigation tool used by defense departments and smartphones alike. Up in the Arctic Ocean lies the geographic north pole. It's where all the world's longitudinal lines meet. But guess what? Your compass won't take you there. Compasses point to the magnetic north pole, a different destination altogether. Prior to the mid-1990s, it was traveling at speeds of around 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) per year. Its current clip? About 55 kilometers (34 miles) annually. 

Speaking of Magnets: Earth's magnetic poles move thanks to magnetic fields pushing against one another. Over hundreds of thousands of years, the north and south pole have actually changed places. Scientists have noticed a pattern of this occurrence every 200,000 to 300,000 years, though it's been more than twice as long since the most recent switch. It's probably safe to ignore warnings that the next reversal will cause doomsday. But you will have to buy a new compass.

The Humongous Fungus: Next time you purchase white button mushrooms at the grocery store, just remember, they may be cute and bite-size, but they have a relative that occupies some 2,384 acres (965 hectares) of soil in Oregon's Blue Mountains. Put another way, this humongous fungus would encompass 1,665 football fields, or nearly four-square miles (10 square kilometers) of turf. The discovery of this giant Armillaria ostoyae (Honey Fungus) in 1998 heralded a new record holder for the title of the world's largest known organism, believed by most to be the 110-foot- (33.5-meter-) long, 200-ton blue whale. Based on its current growth rate, the fungus is estimated to be 2,400 years old but could be as ancient as 8,650 years, which would earn it a place among the oldest living organisms as well.

Running on Empty: As promised, or threatened, at the beginning of today’s post, here’s a list of estimated timelines of when we will run out of some non-renewable resources that we’ve grown to rely on.

Rare Earth Elements – Between 2033 and 2038.

There are 17 elements that make up a category known as "rare earth elements," what the Japanese refer to as “the seeds of technology”, and these elements are crucial to modern life. Each one is considered a type of metal, and 15 of them all belong to one group of metals called lanthanides. Roughly 90% of our rare earth metal supply is produced in China. Chinese mines are starting to run dry, and they may be out of rare earth metals in the next 15 to 20 years. 

Gold – 2038.

According to some experts, the gold rush might finally be over. Gold is one of the most highly valued metals on the planet, and not just because it looks pretty. Trace amounts of gold can be found in all sorts of electronics, and that's becoming a problem. The world's gold mines are quickly running dry, and fewer new deposits have been discovered in the last decades. Experts believe that we may have found all of the significant gold deposits on the planet, and we only have about 20 years’ worth of gold left in the current mines.

Helium – Between 2043 and 2048.

Most people only know helium as the gas in balloons, but it's actually an essential element that’s used for everything from MRI machines to military-grade radiation monitors. We can't make helium ourselves, and the only known sources are from the sun and the process of radioactive decay in Earth rocks. Our planet's supply of helium took billions of years to generate, and it could be gone in the next 25 to 30 years.

Lithium – 2068.

Batteries made with lithium are the most common and cost effective, making the substance incredibly valuable in the modern world. Lithium-ion batteries exploded (sorry, couldn’t resist) onto the marketplace in the '90s and have been a staple ever since, but increased demand has put a strain on supply. The electric car boom has even further exacerbated the issue. While 2015 estimates said our current supply of lithium could last for another 365 years, the recent uptick in demand has whittled that number down to just 50 years.

Copper – Between 2043 and 2078.

The world's copper supply is dwindling, and the rapid growth of developing nations and the housing market's recovery is putting a strain on the world's already diminished supply. About a third of all copper mined is used in construction, and the booming construction industry in China is seeing a huge spike in copper demand. Production cannot keep up with demand, so the future of copper is in dire straits. Experts believe that we may run out of this resource in as little as 25 years, although other estimates claim that 60 years is a more realistic timetable.

Fossil Fuels – 2088.

Coal, natural gas, and oil are all highly sought after fossil fuels, but we are starting to run out of all of them. Estimates vary, but it is quite possible that we will exhaust all three of our fossil fuel sources in just 70 years. It could be even sooner since we are extracting more fossil fuels every year, and oil will definitely be the first to go. The most frightening data says that we could be out of oil as soon as 2052, and natural gas could be gone just eight years later. Coal is more abundant than both oil and natural gas, but even that supply has a chance of running out by 2088.

Aluminum – 2098.

Aluminum is a critical metal that can be found in most homes throughout the world. Aluminum foil is common in kitchens, but the metal can also be used for advanced technologies like airplane fuselages. This element is mined on an industrial scale, but we may be seeing the last days of this invaluable material. Some experts say that we will have used up the planet's aluminum supply in as little as 80 years. 

Peat – 4018.

Ok, now granted, the end date on this material isn’t quite as pressing as the others. For the unfamiliar, peat is a rare non-renewable type of soil that is composed of preserved plant matter that never truly decomposes. Peat only forms in very specific climates and at a ridiculously slow pace. Some peat has been aging for the last 20,000 years, although most of it is less than 8,000 years old. It’s mostly found in countries in the northern hemisphere and is particularly popular in Scotland, where it is used to flavor whiskey. It’s also a source of fuel that can be burned like coal. Which, in our eyes, is the problem. As the availability of fossil fuels continues to decline, peat could well be reassessed as a source of energy. In fact, the coming fossil-fuel crunch could make the peat situation - and therefore the Scotch situation - a whole lot worse. Peat consumption could skyrocket, ringing down the curtain on peated Scotch forever. Meanwhile, its combustion for fuel would fill the air with ever more carbon dioxide, making the Earth uninhabitable. We hope things work out differently. Because, if civilization is to end in an anthropogenic climatological hell, it would be nice to have the option of toasting it’s end with a glass of something heavenly. 

And now we’ve come to the end of our look at the planet Earth for this belated Earth Day. As we reflect on its wonders, it’s clear that Earth is a marvel unlike any other. From its breathtaking landscapes to its intricate ecosystems, Earth stands as an unparalleled testament to the magnificence of nature. However, as we marvel its rainbow trees and its glowing beaches, we must also confront the harsh truth that many of these wonders may soon become relics of the past. Amidst the awe-inspiring phenomena and unique quirks lies a sobering reality: the finite nature of our planet’s resources looms ominously before us.

Earth Day serves as a poignant reminder that our planet is not just a place we inhabit; it’s our only home. As we marvel at the humongous fungi and the mesmerizing balls of lightning, we must also acknowledge our role as stewards of this fragile raft, adrift in the vastness of the cosmos. The clock is ticking, and the countdown to depletion is underway. From rare earth elements to fossil fuels, the list of dwindling resources grows longer with each passing year. But amidst the grim forecasts, there’s hope. By embracing sustainable practices and championing conservation efforts, we can pave the way for a brighter future for generations to come.

So, as we’ve celebrated Earth Day this year, let’s not only marvel at the wonders of our planet but also recommit ourselves to preserving and protecting it. Whether it’s reducing our carbon footprint or advocating for environmental policies, each of us has a role to play in safeguarding the splendor of Earth for future generations. For in this singular sphere, there is no refuge to be found elsewhere. As of now there is no planet B. It’s up to us to ensure that Earth remains a beacon of life and vitality for epochs yet to unfold.

Tell us how you celebrated Earth Day in the comments below. And find out how you can celebrate future Earth Day’s here - https://www.earthday.org/

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