Planetary Magnetic Fields.ppt

Planetary Magnetic Fields Mars Mars also has a very weak magnetic field. (About 5,000 times weaker than Earth’s) The interior of Mars appears to have cooled so much that it is no longer liquid. Mars Mars also has a very weak magnetic field. (About 5,000 times weaker than Earth’s) The interior of Mars appears to have cooled so much that it is no longer liquid. The volcanoes in Mars are no longer active * Like many Planets in our Solar System the Earth has a Magnetic Field The Earth behaves as if there was a magnet in its interior. S N The North Pole of the Earth has a “south” polarity S N As a result a compass will always point towards the North S N S N N S A compass is a Magnetized piece of metal that can spin. A compass is a Magnetized piece of metal that can spin. S N N S The north tip of the compass always points towards the North Pole of the Earth North attracts South A Magnetic Field also protects us from the Solar Wind The Sun produces a stream of charged particles that spread throughout the solar system. These particles are deflected by the Earth’s Magnetic Field What causes a Planet’s Magnetic Field? The Earth’s Magnetic Field is created in the same way you make an electromagnet In an electromagnet the electrons move around an iron nail + - The Earth is made of four layers The Crust: A Thin Rock Material The Mantle: A Dense and Mostly Solid Rock Material The Crust: A Thin Rock Material The Outer Core: Liquid Iron and Nickel The Mantle: A Dense and Mostly Solid Rock Material The Crust: A Thin Rock Material The Inner Core: Solid Iron and Nickel The Outer Core: Liquid Iron and Nickel The Mantle: A Dense and Mostly Solid Rock Material The Crust: A Thin Rock Material The Iron Core of the Earth is an Electromagnet The Iron Core of the Earth is an electromagnet The core is surrounded by liquid Iron and Nickel The Iron Core of the Earth is an electromagnet The core is surrounded by liquid Iron and Nickel As electrons flow around the core the magnetic field