UNIDAD AICLE: The Earth internal heat

2.     THE EARTH INTERNAL HEAT

Temperature within the Earth increases with depth. Beneath the Earth's surface at depths of 80 to 100 kilometres there are highly viscous or partially molten rock at temperatures between 650 to 1,200 °C and the temperature at the Earth's inner core/outer core boundary, around 3,500 kilometres deep, is estimated to be 5650 ± 600 ºC. The internal heat of the Earth is called geothermal energy.

The origin of the Earth internal heat is:

·         Decay of naturally radioactive elements.

·         Heat of impact and compression released during the origin of the Earth by accretion of in-falling meteorites.

You can check what you've learned with this test:

http://www.educaplay.com/es/recursoseducativos/1681332/geothermal_energy.htm

Geothermal energy causes internal geological processes such as earthquakes, the formation of mountain ranges, rock deformation, magmatism and metamorphism.