• LostXOR@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    32
    ·
    3 months ago

    Technically speaking, no. The mantle, which is solid, comprises about 2/3 of the Earth’s mass. However at a planetary scale solids are not rigid enough to maintain their shape, so the Earth is closer to a liquid held together by gravity than to a rigid solid object. See this simulation for an interesting demonstration of its properties: https://youtu.be/kRlhlCWplqk

  • cleverusername@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    37
    arrow-down
    7
    ·
    3 months ago

    The surface is mostly covered in water, but compared the total volume of spherical earth, there’s fuck all water.

    • pe1uca@lemmy.pe1uca.dev
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      37
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 months ago

      There’s a difference between water and liquid.

      Not sure if the solid core has more mass than the mantle.
      In any case, I’d say it’s like a balloon with something solid floating in the middle.

      • WhatAmLemmy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        3 months ago

        I don’t believe the “solid” core is solid in any sense of the word we can relate to; kinda like how Jupiters volume is mostly gas, yet 99% of that is at densities greater than the Mariana trench — where you would vaporize, and would feel more solid to us that anything we’ve experienced — and the “solid” core is more like a molten hydrogen liquid; hotter than the surface of the sun (but not hot enough for fusion).

    • Fleur_@lemm.eeOP
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      3 months ago

      Was referring to the stuff under the crust as the liquid not the water on top

      • propter_hog [any, any]@hexbear.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        3 months ago

        The correct answer is we don’t know. There are novel (to us, anyway) states of iron, for example, that exist at extreme temperatures and pressures that have led scientists to postulate on the possible existence of a crystalized iron core, within the already solid inner core.

  • mediOchre@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    19
    ·
    3 months ago

    The mantle is a large part of the Earth’s volume and even though it flows over geologic time scales, it is still considered solid. Then there’s the crust and inner core, which are also considered solid. IMO the Earth is closer to a balloon filled with flour and a small iron ball in the center.

    I believe this is also related to your question (the pitch drop experiment) but im too sleepy to integrate this to my answer above lol

    • Thavron@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      3 months ago

      Liquid doesn’t mean just water. I think what op was getting at that the molten core of the earth is in liquid(-ish?) form, thus the water balloon idea.

  • tiredofsametab@fedia.io
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    Depends upon how you’re seeing liquid. If you just mean water, definitely not. If you mean things that behave like liquids behave or are in their liquid phase (is magma liquid here?) then I’m not sure

  • wyrmroot@programming.dev
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    Nah, it’s more like a wet baseball. Only 0.02% water by mass. Source

    Edit: My bad, you asked about liquid, not just water, so this is less relevant but I’ll leave it as some trivia.