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tripperfunster OP t1_j2837vc wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in How much does the liquid magma of the Earth affect it's surface temperature? by tripperfunster

Cool. I had no idea (or at least recollection) that the liquid core created a magnetosphere. I just thought it was gravity that gave us the ability to have an atmosphere.

I am still unsure why such a hot core wouldn't affect the temperature of the ground. Is dirt and rock really that insulating?

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Tomhawkee t1_j284brb wrote

Yes very, this is the exact premise of how Hobbit holes/underground buildings stay warm. Very little surface area exposed to the cold outer environment and the soil/ground work as a very thick layer of insulation.

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_Jaquen_Hgar_ t1_j292tjo wrote

Not really a great insulator as such but it’s not a superconductor either. The earth is in space, and space is cold so while heat is conducted slowly through solid rock towards the surface, that heat is then able to both convect and radiate away.

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ringobob t1_j29kl8l wrote

One tangent worth noting in this context - it doesn't really affect the surface temp generally, but there are places where the heat of the inner earth does escape to the surface, and in these places they typically use it to have geothermal energy. Iceland has lots of cheap energy for this reason.

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