20 facts about earth you might not know

Earth, our beautiful blue planet, is a treasure trove of mysteries and wonders that often go unnoticed. While we marvel at its vast oceans, towering mountains, and diverse ecosystems, there’s so much more to our home than meets the eye. Beneath its surface and within its atmosphere lie countless secrets waiting to be discovered. From bizarre geological phenomena to mind-bending facts about its composition and history, Earth has stories that can amaze even the most curious minds. In this blog, we’ll uncover 20 lesser-known facts about Earth that will leave you in awe of the incredible planet we call home.

1. Earth has a "quasi-satellite" moon: Besides our Moon, Earth has an asteroid companion called 3753 Cruithne, which follows a synchronized orbit with our planet.
2. The Earth isn't a perfect sphere: It's slightly flattened at the poles and bulging at the equator due to its rotation, making it an oblate spheroid.
3. Earth's magnetic poles flip: Every few hundred thousand years, the magnetic north and south poles reverse due to changes in the planet’s molten core.
4. There’s a planet-sized crater beneath Antarctica: The Wilkes Land crater is over 300 miles wide and might have been caused by an asteroid twice the size of the one that killed the dinosaurs.
5. Earth has "moonquakes": Like earthquakes, the Moon experiences quakes, often triggered by Earth's gravitational pull.
6. 70% of Earth's fresh water is in glaciers: Most of the planet’s fresh water is locked in ice, primarily in Antarctica and Greenland.
7. Earth’s longest mountain range is underwater: The Mid-Atlantic Ridge stretches over 40,000 miles and is mostly beneath the ocean.
8. Earth's crust is surprisingly thin: The crust, where we live, is only 1% of Earth's total volume, sitting atop the mantle and core.
9. The planet "rings" after earthquakes: Powerful earthquakes can make the Earth vibrate like a bell for days or even weeks.
10. Earth’s core is hotter than the Sun’s surface: The inner core’s temperature can reach about 10,800°F (6,000°C), hotter than the Sun’s surface.
11. The atmosphere is layered: Earth’s atmosphere has five main layers—troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.
12. Lightning strikes Earth frequently: Around 100 lightning bolts hit the Earth every second, amounting to about 8.6 million strikes per day.
13. The Earth’s rotation is slowing down: The planet’s rotation slows by about 1.4 milliseconds per century due to tidal friction caused by the Moon.
14. Gold is everywhere on Earth: Trace amounts of gold exist in seawater, the Earth’s crust, and even in human bodies (about 0.2 milligrams per person).
15. The largest living structure on Earth is the Great Barrier Reef: Spanning over 1,400 miles, it’s visible from space.
16. Earth had a twin planet: Early in its history, a Mars-sized planet named Theia collided with Earth, and the debris likely formed the Moon.
17. The Sahara Desert wasn’t always a desert: Around 6,000 years ago, the Sahara was a lush, green landscape with lakes and vegetation.
18. Earth’s gravity varies: Due to uneven distribution of mass, gravity is slightly weaker in places like Hudson Bay, Canada, compared to other parts of the planet.
19. Earth’s crust moves constantly: Tectonic plates move about 1–2 inches per year, reshaping continents over millions of years.
20. Deep-sea trenches are extreme: The Mariana Trench is the deepest part of the ocean, plunging about 36,000 feet (almost 7 miles) below sea level, deeper than Mount Everest is tall.

Earth is full of surprises, and these facts barely scratch the surface of its mysteries!