Earth's gravity - Marvel Education

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Practice Listening: Highlight Correct Summary ID: #34836 Medium Earth's gravity

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Based on the strength of Earth's gravity and the density and strength of rock, in principle you could make a single conical mountain that stretched between New York and Chicago and soared over 45km! That's twice the size of Olympus Mons and definitely dwarfs Everest. However, there are a couple of reasons why we can't actually have that humongous of a mountain on Earth. For one, Earth's crust is made up of continental plates that essentially float in the semi-solid rock of the mantle below. If you add more weight above the surface, they sink lower into the earth's hot interior, and when they sink far enough, they soften and basically melt. For our conical mountain, that gives a new height limit of just 15km. As well, the powerful collision of two tectonic plates, which creates mountains in the first place, also fractures and cracks the rock, weakening its structure and exposing it to erosion. Over millions of years, freeze-thaw cycles pry at these cracks, while winds claw at the slopes and streams and glaciers carve deep valleys into the mountainside, all weakening the mountain's support. This can end badly. For example, 3,764m tall Aoraki Mount Cook in New Zealand had its top fall off one night in 1991, trimming it down to a 3,754m mountain.

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For any conical mountain on the Earth, its height is limited by various factors. The factors include the Earth’s mantle, collision of tectonic plates and erosion, so the tallest mountains are not likely to grow much higher. Geologists are trying to build up a mountain that stretches between New York and Chicago, which will soar over 45km. This has been warned by experts that the support of such mountain may be damaged by winds and glaciers. The Earth's crust is made up of continental plates that float in the rock of its mantle. This can result in earthquakes, which may force the highest mountains to collapse, according to a research. Mount Everest may grow in the future, because it won’t sink lower into the Earth's hot interior like other mountains do. Another reason is that it hasn’t reached the height limit of 15km yet.

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A.I. Explanation:

Option 1: "For any conical mountain on the Earth, its height is limited by various factors. The factors include the Earth’s mantle, collision of tectonic plates and erosion, so the tallest mountains are not likely to grow much higher."
Explanation: This option accurately summarizes the main idea of the text, which discusses the limitations on mountain height due to factors like the Earth's mantle, tectonic plate collisions, and erosion. The text explicitly states that these factors conspire to limit mountain height, making this option a correct reflection of the overall theme.
Option 2: "Geologists are trying to build up a mountain that stretches between New York and Chicago, which will soar over 45km. This has been warned by experts that the support of such mountain may be damaged by winds and glaciers."
Explanation: This option incorrectly suggests that geologists are attempting to build a mountain, which is not mentioned in the text. The text discusses the theoretical possibility of a mountain of that height but emphasizes that it cannot exist due to natural limitations. Additionally, it misrepresents the warnings as being about construction rather than natural erosion.
Option 3: "The Earth's crust is made up of continental plates that float in the rock of its mantle. This can result in earthquakes, which may force the highest mountains to collapse, according to a research."
Explanation: This option misinterprets the text by suggesting that the floating plates lead to earthquakes that cause mountain collapse. While the text does mention the Earth's crust and tectonic plates, it focuses on how these factors limit mountain height rather than causing earthquakes or collapses. Thus, it presents partial and misleading information.
Option 4: "Mount Everest may grow in the future, because it won’t sink lower into the Earth's hot interior like other mountains do. Another reason is that it hasn’t reached the height limit of 15km yet."
Explanation: This option incorrectly implies that Mount Everest is exempt from the limitations discussed in the text. The text clearly states that all mountains, including Everest, are subject to the same geological constraints, including sinking and erosion. Therefore, this option presents contradictory information and is not supported by the text.

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