Without the protection of the Earth's magnetic field, most of the atmosphere would by now have

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Earth's magnetic field provides a shield against the solar wind, which consists of charged particles from the Sun. Without this shield, the solar wind would strip away the lighter gases in the atmosphere, such as hydrogen and helium, over time. This process has been observed on other planets in our solar system, such as Mars, which has lost much of its atmosphere due to a weak magnetic field. Therefore, without the protection of the Earth's magnetic field, most of the atmosphere would have been lost into space by now.

Without the Protection of the Earth's Magnetic Field, Most of the Atmosphere