BRITISH SCIENTIFIC TEAM

RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS AND EARTH’S INTERIOR HEAT

SIMULATION GUIDE

Your team’s leader is Dr. Stone, University of London

You are challenging the theory that the Earth is gradually cooling down.  This is the basis for the Shrinking Earth theory.

You have been measuring the radioactivity of different types of rock.  Radioactive decay also produces heat.

Earth's crust contains millions of tons of granite.  You think that the heat from radioactivity would stop Earth from cooling down.

Ask a Scientist:  Earth's Internal Heat

Earth's Internal Heat

Earth's Crust and Interior - Scroll down and read only the section labeled "Earth's Internal Heat"

Heat History of the Earth - When you get to the paragraph that starts with "The third way a planet can lose its heat is to establish..." then stop. Do not use any information (words OR pictures) from this paragraph.

Earth's Internal Heat - this site mentions one unique possible source of heat