Science · Facts & sources
4 sourced facts about planet Earth — geology, geography and science, each with the context behind the number. 4 more are in today's round and appear here after it closes.
Answerabout 4.54 billion years
That estimate, accurate to within about 50 million years, comes from radiometric dating of meteorites and lunar samples.
Source: Wikipedia, age of the Earth (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout 71%
That covers roughly 361 million square kilometers out of Earth's total surface area of about 510 million square kilometers.
Source: Wikipedia, Earth (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answer7 or 8 major plates
The exact count depends on definitions, since some plates like the Indo-Australian plate are sometimes split into two.
Source: Wikipedia, plate tectonics (2024) en.wikipedia.org
Answerabout 10,935 meters
That's deep enough to submerge Mount Everest with over 2 kilometers to spare above its peak.
Source: Wikipedia, Mariana Trench (2024) en.wikipedia.org