Earth
The third planet in the Sol system. It is the only inhabited planet in the system. It is an M-class world in the Shi'ar classification system, with 78% of the surface being covered in water and high Oxygen and Hydrogen concentration in the atmosphere.
It is known to the Asgardians as Midgard. Outside the Nine Realms, it is usually called Terra, to distinguish it from other similarly named planets.
It is an inhabited world, and is home to one sapient species, the Humans, and a sub-species, the Inhumans.
It has a single naturally occurring satelite, the Moon, which was previously also inhabited.
It lacks any centralised governance, being divided into a large number of autonomous countries, regions, islands, and empires.
Geography
The land is divided into seven cotinents across six main landmasses - South America, North America, Africa, Antarctica, Australasia, and Eurasia (encompassing the continents of Asia and Europe).
The 78% of the planet which is underwater is usually divided into five major oceans, the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Indian, the Southern, and the Arctic, along with a number of smaller bodies of water.
Ecosystem
Earth has a highly variable climate, with mean temperature affected by a number of factors. The amount of solar energy reaching the Earth's surface is at its highest at the equator and decreases close to the poles. Earth's surface can be subdivided into specific latitudinal belts of approximately homogeneous climates; tropical (or equatorial), subtropical, temperate and polar climates.
Further factors that affect a location's climates are its proximity to oceans, the oceanic and atmospheric circulation, and topology. Places close to oceans typically have colder summers and warmer winters, due to the fact that oceans can store large amounts of heat. Atmospheric circulation also plays an important role. Finally, temperatures decrease with height, causing mountainous areas to be colder than low-lying areas. Surface air temperature can rise to around 55 °C in hot deserts, such as Death Valley, and can fall as low as −89 °C in Antarctica.
Precipitation patterns vary widely, ranging from several meters of water per year to less than a millimeter. Atmospheric circulation, topographic features, and temperature differences determine the average precipitation that falls in each region.
Ecosystem Cycles
On Earth, seasons are the result of Earth's orbit around the Sun and the Earth's axial tilt. In temperate and polar regions, the seasons are marked by changes in the intensity of sunlight, variations of which may cause animals to undergo hibernation or to migrate, and plants to be dormant. Various cultures define the number and nature of seasons based on regional variations, and as such there are a number of both modern and historical cultures whose number of seasons vary.
The Northern Hemisphere experiences more direct sunlight during May, June, and July, as the hemisphere faces the Sun. The same is true of the Southern Hemisphere in November, December, and January. However, due to seasonal lag, June, July, and August are the warmest months in the Northern Hemisphere while December, January, and February are the warmest months in the Southern Hemisphere.
In temperate and sub-polar regions, four seasons based on the Gregorian calendar are generally recognized: spring, summer, autumn/fall, and winter. Many tropical regions have two seasons: the rainy, wet, or monsoon season and the dry season. Some have a third cool, mild, or harmattan season.
Seasons often hold special significance for agrarian societies, whose lives revolve around planting and harvest times, and the change of seasons is often attended by ritual. The definition of seasons is also cultural. In India, from ancient times to the present day, six seasons based on south Asian religious or cultural calendars are recognised for purposes such as agriculture and trade.
Fauna & Flora
It is home to one native sapient species, Humans. Due to Kree experimentation on the population, a subspecies of Humans, known as Inhumans, also inhabit the planet.
Earth is extremely biodiverse. More than 99 percent of all species that ever lived on Earth are estimated to be extinct. Estimates on the number of Earth's current species range from 2 million to 1 trillion, of which about 1.74 million have been recorded thus far and over 80 percent have not yet been described.
| Major/Component group | Described | Global estimate (described + undescribed) |
|---|---|---|
| Mamals | 5,487 | ~5,500 |
| Birds | 9,990 | >10,000 |
| Reptiles | 8,734 | ~10,000 |
| Amphibia | 6,515 | ~15,000 |
| Fishes | 31,153 | ~40,000 |
| Invertebrates | ~1,359,365 | ~6,755,830 |
| Plants | ~310,129 | ~390,800 |
| Fungi (incl. Lichens) | 17,000 | 1,500,000 |
| Others | ~66,607 | ~2,600,500 |
History
According to radiometric dating estimation, Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago. Within the first billion years of Earth's history, life appeared in the oceans and began to affect Earth's atmosphere and surface, leading to the proliferation of anaerobic and, later, aerobic organisms. Some geological evidence indicates that life may have arisen as early as 4.1 billion years ago. Since then, the combination of Earth's distance from the Sun, physical properties, and geological history have allowed life to evolve and thrive.
According to the popular Kree "Universal Progenitor Theory", life on earth may not have evolved entirely naturally, and humans in particular may be the result of genetic engineering by an theoretical advanced civiliasation.
According to the archives of the Kree Empire Kree themselves were also involved in genetic experimentation on native Sapients.
Tourism
As a Type I pre-stellar civilsation, Terra has historically been of little interest to more advanced civilisations. The only exception being the Asgardians (and other Sapients native to the Nine Realms) who visited extensively between the 4th and 10th Centuries, and were worshipped as Gods by the civilsations they encountered.
Alternative Name(s)
Galactic Standard: Terra | Asgardian: Midgard
Type
Planet
Included Locations
Inhabiting Species