What Is the Magnetic Field of the Earth?

Sabrina from United Kingdom wrote:
What is the magnetic field of the Earth?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Sabrina.

The Earth's magnetic field helps to shield or protect us from charged particles traveling through space - mostly from our Sun. The Sun throws off powerful solar winds and solar storms. Most of these deflect off our magnetic field, but a few particles get trapped in what is called the "Van Allen Belts" in the area around Earth called the Magnetosphere. We can see these charged particles sometimes in the night sky as the Northern Lights or Southern Lights (or called the Aurora borealis (north) and Aurora australis (south)).

Exactly how or what forms the Earth's magnetic field is still being studied by scientists. They think it is probably from a combination the Earth's spinning outer core of molten metal, mostly nickel and iron, and possibly the heat the Earth is generating.


Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher

To learn more click here:

When Will We Run Out of Oil?

Kristy from the United Kingdom wrote:
When will we run out of oil?

GLOBIO Traveling Teacher says:

Hi Kirsty,

Yes, eventually we will run out of oil if we continue to use it like we do today - to power our cars, warm our houses, make paints, and make plastics.
Oil (and coal and natural gas) is created by plants and animals that died millions of years ago. Buried in the earth under pressure and heat they combine to form fossil fuels - like oil. This process takes a very long time, millions of years, to form even a small amount of fossil fuel. The problem is we are using up this fossil fuel faster than it can be created.

Our solution is to conserve now the oil we have - using it wisely - and begin to search very hard for new ideas and resources to power of cars and airplanes, create plastics and all the other things we now use oil for.

Thanks for the great question,
GLOBIO Traveling Teacher