<p>Given the insulating effect of 6370 km of rock (the average radius of the Earth) &amp; its low thermal conductivity, if the temperature at the center of the earth was 18 °C it contribution to warming the atmosphere would be negligible.</p>

<p>The temperature at the center of the Earth is about <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_gradient" rel="nofollow noreferrer">7000 °C</a>, while the average temperature of the surface is about <a href="http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/view.php?datasetId=MOD_LSTD_CLIM_M" rel="nofollow noreferrer">10 °C</a>. So if the temperature at the Earth's center was 18 °C its contribution to the surface temperature would be exceedingly small.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-09T11:33:54.113Z
2017-01-09T20:57:24.463Z
2017-01-09T20:57:24.463Z
Fred
<p>What is the percentage of the Earth's warmth that the Earth's hot centre is responsible for? What would be the temperature of the atmosphere if the Earth's centre was 18° C (average temperature on the surface)?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-09T08:19:30.563Z
partly relevant : http://i.imgur.com/wUb82yS.png
shrey
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-09T11:51:22.377Z
@shrey Could you please share the whole document
Probably
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-09T11:59:26.823Z
(around pg 221 ) -- http://elibrary.bsu.az/azad/new/2194.pdf
shrey
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-10T02:32:40.323Z
0.03% per Wikipedia:    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_internal_heat_budget#Global_internal_heat_flow
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-26T17:56:52.690Z
Why ask such a what-if about an 18° C core?
wogsland
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-01-26T20:31:15.920Z
@wogsland because that's the average temperature on the surface
Probably
<geophysics><temperature><core>
How much of the Earth's heat is caused by the hot centre?
Probably
# How much of the Earth's heat is caused by the hot centre?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-01-09)

What is the percentage of the Earth's warmth that the Earth's hot centre is responsible for? What would be the temperature of the atmosphere if the Earth's centre was 18° C (average temperature on the surface)?

**Tags:** geophysics, temperature, core

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: partly relevant : http://i.imgur.com/wUb82yS.png  
> **username_0**: @username_1 Could you please share the whole document  
> **username_1**: (around pg 221 ) -- http://elibrary.bsu.az/azad/new/2194.pdf  
> **username_2**: 0.03% per Wikipedia:    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth's_internal_heat_budget#Global_internal_heat_flow  
> **username_3**: Why ask such a what-if about an 18° C core?  
> **username_0**: @username_3 because that's the average temperature on the surface  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2017-01-09. Score: 4

Given the insulating effect of 6370 km of rock (the average radius of the Earth) & its low thermal conductivity, if the temperature at the center of the earth was 18 °C it contribution to warming the atmosphere would be negligible.

The temperature at the center of the Earth is about [7000 °C](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geothermal_gradient), while the average temperature of the surface is about [10 °C](http://neo.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/view.php?datasetId=MOD_LSTD_CLIM_M). So if the temperature at the Earth's center was 18 °C its contribution to the surface temperature would be exceedingly small.


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