Comments on: The Hole Earth Catalog

By: Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 07:19:07 +0000

“Even if the U.S. atom bombs were so powerful that, when dropped on China, they would make a hole right through the earth, or even blow it up, that would hardly mean anything to the universe as a whole, though it might be a major event for the solar system.”

By: Robert Carnegie

Robert Carnegie — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 23:00:26 +0000

I suppose a movie called “The Botswana Syndrome” might not have had the same box office.

Let’s see… seven-tenths of the surface is water, so if I pick a random point it’s probability 0.3 to be on land, if the distribution of land is random (obviously it isn’t, it comes in clumps) then the opposite point also has an independent probability of 0.3 of being land, so the probability of both ends of any line through the centre of the earth being dry is 0.3 x 0.3, i.e. 9%. One in eleven. The line is wet at both ends 49% of the time. Rough work, good enough for this Web site (Would any article here be complete without an little regretful appendix about the maths…)

If you drop a mass down a hole right through the earth, don’t other things come into play; air resistance obviously, the planet’s rotation? But if it’s a vacuum and we aren’t rotating… I’m not sure how we achieve that… and maybe we have to get rid of the moon and tides as well (oh yeah, the sun has to go too)… then you can drop your test mass down the frictionless hole and wait for it to come straight back up, I guess. But wait, what about adjustment for general relativity…

By: kara

kara — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 20:38:41 +0000

Be carefulâ€¦ I hear the Earthâ€™s Core is as hot as the Sunâ€™s surface!

By: Mammal

Mammal — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 19:38:04 +0000

What struck me about it is that the asteroid impact crater off the Yucatan is very close to opposite the approximate position of India when the flood basalts that made the Deccan traps were laid down.

I wonder if there might be a harmonic or something.

By: Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey

Bill Higgins-- Beam Jockey — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 19:04:15 +0000

â€¦ but alas, Iâ€™ve already written 3000 words and Iâ€™m only half done.

Take heart. From here, you have nowhere to go but up!

By: HAL9000

HAL9000 — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 18:30:35 +0000

Heck, I can describe a tunnel through the Earth in 3 words: “AAAAAAA! It BUUUUUUUURNS!”

By: Adrian

Adrian — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 16:17:04 +0000

Tim G. said “Trade winds would make the flight TO London a bit longer.”

As an international pilot and planner, I have to make a slight correction to your statement. Trade winds are insignificant for jet planning except when dealing with cross winds for landing. Trade winds are generally mild (~25-35 kts), blow from east to west and are a low altitude (sfc-10k ft) phenomenon.

On the contrary, jetstream winds are significant. They generally occur at higher altitudes (~18-40k ft), are higher speed (~100-175 kts or more), and run from west to east at mid latitudes. These winds severely affect jet traffic especially on long westbound flights at flight levels in the mid 30K ft (FL 350).

Unfortunately, great circle routes for aircraft are problematic due to the cost of clearances for overflight of some countries. Sometimes the longer way around is cheaper even at higher costs for fuel.