10 remarkable Earth facts.!

Every year on April 22, we celebrate Earth Day and the incredible planet we call home. First established in 1970, Earth Day shines a spotlight on the environmental challenges we face and reminds us how vital it is to protect our world for future generations. But truly, shouldn’t every day be Earth Day? We only have one beautiful planet, after all.

To honor that spirit, we’ve put together a curate list of 10 of the most remarkable facts about Earth

1. Earth isn’t actually round.

2. Coral reefs are Earth’s largest living structure .

3. Earth has a squishy interior.

4. Antarctica is home to the largest ice sheet on Earth.

5. The Moon is drifting away from Earth.

6. Atacama is the driest place on Earth.

7. Earth’s magnetic pole is creeping westward.

8. Europe is the second smallest continent in size but the third largest in population.

9. Tibetan plateau is Earth’s ‘third pole’.

10. Trees are breathers.

Number -1: Earth Isn’t actually round!

As unbelievable as it may sound, we’re completely serious — Earth isn’t flat, but it’s not a perfect sphere either. Due to its rotation, our planet bulges slightly at the equator and flattens at the poles. On top of that, the uneven distribution of mass across Earth causes subtle variations in gravitational pull at different locations. Earth still appears perfectly round to the human eye because these variations are far too small to be seen in space images. The most accurate model of the "geoid" ever created by ESA's GOCE mission has provided new insights into how our planet works. In the image, colors represent variations in height — from –100 meters to +100 meters — compared to an ideal geoid. Red and yellow areas indicate higher values, while blue areas indicate lower values. The geoid is the shape of an ideal global ocean, free of currents and tides and only influenced by gravity. This model serves as a vital reference for studying ocean circulation, sea-level changes, and ice dynamics — all of which are impacted by climate change.

Number -2: Coral reefs are Earth’s largest living structure.

The Great Barrier Reef is a vast network of around 3,000 reefs and 900 coral islands, separated by narrow channels just below the surface of the Coral Sea. It is the largest living structure on Earth and the only one that can be seen from space, covering an area of approximately 350,000 square kilometers and stretching over 2,000 kilometers.

In addition to being stunning natural wonders, coral reefs are the world's largest living structures. These vibrant underwater ecosystems are built by tiny animals called coral polyps, which create calcium carbonate skeletons that accumulate over time to form the intricate structures we recognize as coral reefs.

Beyond their beauty, coral reefs are vital to the health of our oceans. They act as natural barriers, shielding coastlines from storms and erosion, and they provide habitat and protection for numerous marine species. Sadly, coral reefs face growing threats from environmental changes, including ocean acidification, rising temperatures, and global warming. According to ESA research, marine life has suffered as a result of ocean waters becoming increasingly acidic over the past three decades. By using satellite technology to monitor ocean colour, temperature, and salinity, scientists are able to track shifts in ocean chemistry and pinpoint areas where acidification is occurring.

Higher ocean temperatures also pose a serious threat, triggering coral bleaching — a process where corals expel the algae that live within their tissues and provide them with essential nutrients. Corals can lose their color and eventually die without these algae, which can have an impact on the entire marine ecosystem.

Number-3: Earth has a squishy interior.

Earth’s interior isn’t completely solid — instead, it has a semi-solid, almost "squishy" consistency due to extreme temperatures and pressures. This flexible nature allows the mantle to slowly flow over geological timescales, driving processes like plate tectonics, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes.

One fascinating result of this squishy interior is a phenomenon called post-glacial rebound. During the last ice age, massive glaciers weighed down Earth's surface, causing the mantle beneath to deform and sink. As the glaciers melted and retreated, the mantle began to slowly rebound, pushing the land above it upward — a process that continues even today.

Regions like Canada, Scandinavia, and Greenland are still rising as they recover from the weight of ancient ice sheets. Remarkably, recent studies using data from ESA’s GOCE gravity mission have shown that West Antarctica is rebounding faster than anywhere else on Earth.

Studying post-glacial rebound gives scientists valuable insights into the structure and behavior of Earth's interior, revealing how it responds to surface changes over thousands of years

Number-4: Antarctica is home to the largest ice sheet on Earth.

More than six times the size of Greenland, Antarctica is the southernmost continent — and by far the coldest and windiest place on Earth. Temperatures can plummet to an extreme –89.2°C, and winds can roar at speeds exceeding 320 kilometers per hour.

In addition, Antarctica is home to the world's largest ice sheet, with a staggering 30 million cubic kilometers of ice. This massive ice sheet accounts for about 70% of Earth's freshwater and 90% of its total ice.

Global sea levels and ocean currents are profoundly affected by any changes to the Antarctic ice sheet. Satellites play a crucial role in the effort to monitor the Antarctic ice sheet, which is crucial.

Scientists can measure changes in the ice sheet's thickness and movement over time using data from missions like ESA's Cryostat, which helps us comprehend how it responds to a warming climate.

Recently, ESA joined forces with NASA and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) for a groundbreaking campaign in Antarctica, collecting simultaneous measurements of sea ice using ESA’s CryoSat and NASA’s ICESat-2 satellites.

This research is crucial for guiding policy decisions on climate change, sea level rise, and for shaping strategies to protect vulnerable coastal communities around the world.

Number-5 : The Moon is drifting away from Earth.

That is what you read! The Moon is gradually drifting away from Earth at a rate of approximately 4 cm per year. This phenomenon is caused by the Moon pulling on Earth’s oceans creating tidal forces that produce a bulge of water on the side of Earth facing the Moon.

Number-6: Atacama is the driest place on Earth.

The Atacama Desert in South America is often considered the driest place on Earth, second only to the Antarctic dry valleys. Spanning over 100,000 square kilometers, this vast desert receives, on average, less than 1 millimeter of rainfall each year.

The position of the Atacama Desert in the rain shadow cast by the Andes Mountains, the cooling effect of the offshore Humboldt Current, and a general lack of moisture-bearing winds all contribute to the region's extreme dryness. Despite its harsh climate, the Atacama is home to a remarkable variety of plants and animals, specially adapted to thrive in such unforgiving conditions. It’s also famous for its breathtaking landscapes — from sprawling salt flats and steaming geysers to towering volcanoes — making it a must-visit destination for adventurous travelers.

Number-7: Earth’s magnetic pole is creeping westward.

The magnetic North Pole moves all the time, in contrast to Earth's geographical North Pole, which stays the same. Up until the early 1990s, magnetic north was located about 1,600 kilometers south of true north, in Canada. Since the 1990s, scientists have noticed that magnetic north drifts at a rate of about 15 kilometers per year. However, this once-slow drift has now become more of a sprint. At a rate of 50–60 kilometers per year, the North Pole's magnetic field is rushing toward Siberia at a previously unheard-of speed. Why the sudden surge? Using data from ESA’s Swarm mission, scientists discovered that a shift in the flow of molten material deep within Earth's core is responsible.

Specifically, they found that changes beneath Canada have stretched and weakened a magnetic field patch at the edge of Earth's core. As this Canadian patch has weakened, the magnetic pole has been drawn more strongly toward Siberia.

Number-8: Europe is the second smallest continent in size but the third largest in population.

Europe is celebrated for its rich history, vibrant cultures, and iconic landmarks. Although it is the second smallest continent by land area (after Australia), it boasts a remarkable population of over 746 million people, making it the third most populous continent after Asia and Africa.

With more than 75% of its population living in cities, Europe also has one of the highest rates of urbanization in the world. As the global population is projected to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, it becomes increasingly important to address the challenges posed by rapid and often unplanned urbanization — including air pollution, and the sustainable management of water and energy resources.

Number-9: Tibetan plateau is Earth’s ‘third pole’.

Often called the "third pole," the Tibetan Plateau holds an immense amount of freshwater — second only to the North and South Poles. Home to over 46,000 glaciers, it forms the largest reserve of freshwater outside the polar regions.

These glaciers provide an essential water source for millions of people in China and Southeast Asia by feeding major rivers like the Mekong, Yangtze, and Yellow Rivers. However, the glaciers of the Tibetan Plateau — like many around the world — are increasingly under threat from climate change. Rising temperatures are driving rapid glacial melt, posing serious risks to the ecosystems and communities that rely on this vital resource.

Recent studies have revealed that ice loss from Himalayan glaciers between 2000 and 2020 was underestimated by an average of 6.5%. The management of crucial freshwater supplies and the prediction of the region's glaciers' future are both significantly affected by this new knowledge.

Number-10: Trees are breathers.

Trees are among our most powerful allies in the fight against climate change. Around 80% of all terrestrial biodiversity is found in forests, and tropical forests alone produce more than 40% of our oxygen. Covering about 30% of Earth’s land surface, forests are vital to our survival. They absorb around 8 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, playing a key role in the global carbon cycle and helping regulate the climate.

However, climate change, forest degradation, and deforestation are reversing some of these benefits, causing much of the stored carbon to be released back into the atmosphere. Recent studies show that recovering tropical forests are offsetting only about a quarter of today’s carbon emissions — highlighting the urgent need to protect and restore these critical ecosystems.

The ESA's upcoming Biomass mission will use cutting-edge radar technology to measure the amount of carbon stored in forests and other vegetation in order to improve our comprehension of how trees regulate the carbon cycle on Earth. This groundbreaking mission will provide the most accurate assessments of carbon storage and uptake to date.

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