The+Earth+-+By+Liz

== = ** __ Planet Profile __ ** =

Average distance from sun: 149.6 million km
= __ Life __ =
 * Earth is the only planet in the solar system known to support life. This life depends on liquid water, and mostly occurs in a tempreture range of 0 to 40°C.
 * The greatest variety of life occurs in tropical rainforest, which have 9 out of 10 of the 20-million specicies of plants, animals and other life forms.
 * The richest variety of marine life is found in coral reefs.

__ Weather and climate __
=**__ Major Features __**=
 * Varies due to movement of the atmosphere.
 * In hotter climates the surface temperature can reach 58 ° C.
 * In colder climates the surface temperature can reach minus 89 °C
 * **Rivers -** The amazon river in South America, carries more water than the next five biggest rivers put together. Putting out 200,000 cubic litres per second into the Atlantic ocean.
 * **Oceans -** The pacific ocean covers almost half (46%) of the Earth's surface.
 * **Mountains -** The Himalayas of central Aisia have eight of the world's ten highest peaks.

__ Plate Tectonics[[image:earth.jpg width="262" height="214" align="right"]] __

 * The earths outer surface of thin rocky crust, and a thin layer of semi-melted rock below, is split into 12-15 giant curved pieces called "lithospheric plates".
 * Over millions of years these slide or drift around the globe, at the rate of about 1-3cm per year, carrying the major land masses with them, this is called "contenental drift".
 * At the edge of some plates new rock is added, by a process called "seafloor spreading".