Re: Question, what do things do when they freeze?

There are a couple of misconception that I would like to clear up:

First- the earth isn't a perfect sphere (over and above variations in the
surface). It flattens at the poles slightly and is a tad fatter at the
equator. The equatorial radius is 6,378,140m and the polar radius is
6,356,755m which gives the earth a 21.39km sag around the middle. (1)

This is a pretty good indicator that the earth isn't a monolithic solid.



Second: In the strictest sense, the process of accretion is ongoing. Every day
the earth recieves a few tons of dust from interplanetary space. This dust is
mostly microscopic- carbon or silicon based. On a daily basis, the amount is
negliable but it can add up over time. This dust is regulary replenished by
the occassional comet.

In the distant past, accretion occured at a furious rate but slowed with time
as the planets formed and swept the vast majority of debris out of their
orbital paths. The early and late bombardment phases, which lasted for for
eons, were a more violent form of accretion but they did serve to add to the
mass of the planet.




(1) Kroger, Poutanen & Donner Fundamental Astronomy. Springer-Verlag: p. 13-4



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Wiley Coyote, Acme Inc.

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