And lo on Mon, 12 Nov 2007 10:12:11 -0000, Gail Shaw sa dot com>  
<"<initialsurname"@sentech> did spake, saying:

>
> "Invisible" <voi### [at] devnull> wrote in message
> news:47382526@news.povray.org...
>> Gail Shaw wrote:
>>
>> > Some radioactive stuff does glow, most doesn't
>>
>> So... is it really true that the Earth's core is so hot due to neuclear
>> reactions?
>
> I believe that the current theory is that the heat is partially a  
> leftover
> from the planet's formation, and partially from the natural decay or
> radioactive elements.
>
> I may be wrong. Geology isn't my forte.

Most of the heat is stored in the mantle which is the bit between the  
crust that we live on and the moving outer liquid core that provides the  
magnetic field. As you said the heat is made up of gravitational heat  
(friction at the Earth's creation), latent heat (the inner core cooling  
and expanding) with the majority being the decay of radioactive elements.

-- 
Phil Cook

--
I once tried to be apathetic, but I just couldn't be bothered
http://flipc.blogspot.com

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