Earth's water vs land volume (shown in spheres) image?
January 10, 2008 1:09 PM Subscribe
ISO: Photo-like diagram of the ratio of total volume of water to total volume of land on Earth. NOT the surface area - the TOTAL respective volumes of the planet.
I knew I should've saved it when it made the rounds the first time, now I can't find it.
It's a picture of two spheres comparing Earth's water vs. land composition. One sphere represents the total land mass, the other smaller blue one represents the total water mass.
Hope me?
I knew I should've saved it when it made the rounds the first time, now I can't find it.
It's a picture of two spheres comparing Earth's water vs. land composition. One sphere represents the total land mass, the other smaller blue one represents the total water mass.
Hope me?
Best answer: Is it this one - Adam Nieman's Visions of Science winner?
posted by Wolfdog at 1:21 PM on January 10, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by Wolfdog at 1:21 PM on January 10, 2008 [2 favorites]
How do you measure "volume" for land?
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 1:25 PM on January 10, 2008
posted by Steven C. Den Beste at 1:25 PM on January 10, 2008
Response by poster: Yes Wolfdog, that's the one. Thanks!
posted by yoga at 1:26 PM on January 10, 2008
posted by yoga at 1:26 PM on January 10, 2008
Looks about right. Radius of Earth = 6378000 m so volume of Earth = 1.08678129 × 10^21 m^3. Average depth of ocean over 3/4 of Earth's surface = 3800 m so it over the whole surface it would form a hollow sphere 2850 m thick. Subtract Earth's volume from that of the larger sphere to get a volume for the water of 1.45753101 × 10^18 m^3. The radius of a sphere of that volume would be 703358 m, a little over 1/10th the radius of the planet, as depicted.
I guess the little sphere on the globe on the right is supposed to be the volume of the atmosphere?
posted by nicwolff at 1:47 PM on January 10, 2008
I guess the little sphere on the globe on the right is supposed to be the volume of the atmosphere?
posted by nicwolff at 1:47 PM on January 10, 2008
Wow, that's actually more water than I expected.
posted by hattifattener at 2:33 PM on January 10, 2008
posted by hattifattener at 2:33 PM on January 10, 2008
What an amazing illustration! Is there a higher-res version out there somewhere?
posted by ZakDaddy at 9:01 PM on January 10, 2008
posted by ZakDaddy at 9:01 PM on January 10, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by burnmp3s at 1:18 PM on January 10, 2008