What powers the earths core?

Question

All our power is dependent on oxygen and an ignition source, so where is the earths core getting its oxygen from. Surely it isn't nuclear fusion because if it were then we would all be dead when a volcano erupted.

Answer 1

Geothermal energy is generated in the earth's core, about 4,000 miles below the surface. Temperatures hotter than the sun's surface are continuously produced inside the earth by the slow decay of radioactive particles, a process that happens in all rocks. The earth has a number of different layers:

Answer 2

Your premise is false. All of our power is not dependent on oxygen and an ignition source. Only power derived by combustion. The Earth's core does not undergo combustion, so it doesn't need any oxygen.

You are correct that essentially no fusion takes place in the Earth's core. What do you think the Earth's core needs power for?

Answer 3

The earth's core still contains much of its primordial heat because it can never cool off.  Although nuclear fusion can not occur (as you mention) long-lived radioactive elements are still disintegrating within the crust yielding heat energy with no place to go but up with molten magma.  It could be argued that during the past 5 billion years most of the core's original heat has left the core to be replace by radioactive decay heat, but that is merely bookkeeping.  See Crust, Convection and Plate Movement in the link.

Answer 4

Y Flux Capacitors Y