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The mass of Earth's oceans is estimated to be 1.37 × 10 21 kg, which is 0.023% of the total mass of Earth, 6.0 × 10 24 kg. An additional 5.0 × 10 20 kg of water is estimated to exist in ice, lakes, rivers, groundwater, and atmospheric water vapor. [20] A significant amount of water is also stored in Earth's crust, mantle, and core.
Water is a basic necessity of life. Since two thirds of the Earth is covered by water, the Earth is also called the blue planet and the watery planet. [notes 1] The hydrosphere plays an important role in the existence of the atmosphere in its present form. Oceans are important in this regard.
Wind shear, sometimes referred to as wind gradient, is a difference in wind speed and direction over a relatively short distance in the Earth's atmosphere. [61] Wind shear can be broken down into vertical and horizontal components, with horizontal wind shear seen across weather fronts and near the coast, [62] and vertical shear typically near ...
This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all of Earth's water is contained in its global ocean, covering 70.8% of Earth's crust. The remaining 29.2% of Earth's crust is land, most of which is located in the form of continental landmasses within Earth's land hemisphere.
Although many celestial bodies in the Solar System have a hydrosphere, Earth is the only celestial body known to have stable bodies of liquid water on its surface, with oceanic water covering 71% of its surface, [2] which is essential to life on Earth. The presence of liquid water is maintained by Earth's atmospheric pressure and stable orbit ...
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The Earth's magnetic field was established 3.5 billion years ago. The solar wind flux was about 100 times the value of the modern Sun, so the presence of the magnetic field helped prevent the planet's atmosphere from being stripped away, which is what probably happened to the atmosphere of Mars.
The Winchcombe meteorite is a rare find, with a similar hydrogen isotope ratio to the water on Earth.. Recovering a meteorite within 12 hours of arrival means it is as pristine a specimen as we ...