MadSci Network: Astronomy
Query:

Subject: How much mass is the earth gaining/losing each year?

Date: Wed Jan 2 15:05:41 2002
Posted by Scott
Grade level: nonaligned School: n/a
City: Mayfield Heights State/Province: OH Country: USA
Area of science: Astronomy
ID: 1010001941.As
Message:

As I see it, there are several processes at work in the alteration of the mass 
of the Earth.  Can you help me figure out how much mass the Earth gains/loses 
each year?  Here is the equation I have come up with so far:
 
Total mass change = [Amount of space debris (dust, meteorites, etc) that falls 
to the earth] + [amount of space junk (from NASA, etc) that falls back to 
Earth] + [the mass of the solar wind absorbed by Earth] + [the mass-energy 
absorbed by the Earth due to the photoelectric effect] + [The mass of 
neutrinos??? absorbed by Earth] - [The total mass-energy of light emitted into 
space by manmade lights and radio, natural fires, volcanoes, lightning, etc] - 
[the mass of space shuttles and cargo blasted off into space] - [the mass-
energy of the thermal heat lost to space] - [any gasses that escape into space]

Please help me complete this formula and perhaps even plug in some numbers.  
Alternatively, I imagine you could get the end answer by studying the Earth's 
movement around the sun (velocity, distance, etc.)

Thanks,
scott


Re: How much mass is the earth gaining/losing each year?

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