25 Surprising Earth Facts You Probably Have Not Considered

• published: 30 Sep 2015
• views: 7236

What’s one of the most bizarre Earth facts you can think of? Is it the fact that every day, about 100 tons of dust-sized micro meteoroids enter the Earth´s atmosphere? Or how about the fact that, depending on where you are, you could be spinning at over 1,000 mph (1,609 km/h) as Earth rotates around its axis. These facts are but of a couple of the many mind-blowing attributes our planet has to offer. Home to about 7.3 billion humans, planet Earth is the only astronomical object known to accommodate life, which is a pretty bizarre statement given the vastness of our known universe (just to give you an idea of the universe’s incomprehensible size, check out these crazy facts about our universe). Despite being small compared to most of the other objects found in outer space, for us, it is an amazingly vast place brimming with spectacular natural features and breathtaking beauty. No other planet in the known the universe can for the moment boast of such a diversity. Needless to say, our planet is awesome! Don’t you agree? From dark mysterious deep ocean abysses to what seems to be an everlasting thunderstorm, we bring you 25 Surprising Earth Facts You Probably Have Not Considered. Follow us on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/list25 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/list25 Website: http://list25.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/list25/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/list25/ Be sure to check out the physical list here: http://list25.com/25-surprising-earth-facts-you-probably-have-not-considered/ How many of these Earth facts did you know? Some lunar scientists believe Earth had two moons at one point in time. The smaller ‘twin’ of the current moon is thought to have only survived a few million years before it collided with the one we see today, leaving just one. Although Earth is currently home to up to 14 million different species of life, scientists estimate that over 99 percent of all species that ever lived on our planet are now extinct. While the world ocean covers almost 70 percent of the planet surface, we have only explored about 5 percent of it so far. Nuvvuagittuq Belt, a rock formation located on the shore of Hudson Bay near Quebec, is rumored to have the oldest rocks found on Earth. With an estimated age of about 4.3 billion years, these rocks are slightly younger than Earth itself which is thought to have been created 4.5 billion years ago. It is estimated that more than 80% of Earth´s surface is volcanic in origin. The difference between the world´s lowest (Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench – 11,034 m or 36,201 ft below sea level) and highest (Mount Everest – 8,848 m or 29,029 ft above sea level) point is 19,882 m or 65,230 feet, which is like 45 Empire State Buildings stacked on top of each other. Covering an area of approximately 344,400 square kilometers (133,000 sq mi), the Great Barrier Reef located in the Coral Sea off the coast of Australia is the largest living structure on Earth. Composed of 2,900 individual reefs, the structure is so big it can be seen from space. The highest temperature ever recorded on Earth was 56.7 C (134 F), measured at Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley, California in 1913. The lowest was -89.2 C (-128.6 F), measured at Vostok Station, Antarctica in 1983. Depending on where you are, you could be spinning at over 1,000 mph (1,609 km/h) as Earth rotates around its axis. At the same time, we are all hurtling around the Sun at a speed of 67,000 mph (108,000 km/h). In the mouth of the Catatumbo River in Venezuela, a unique atmospheric phenomenon known as the everlasting storm can be observed. Originating from a mass of storm clouds at a height of more than 5 km (3 miles), the storm occurs for up to 160 nights a year, 10 hours per day.