Opinion: Our active planet, part II

Earth is not static. It is constantly changing due to powerful forces like tectonic plate movement, erosion, volcanic eruption, and climate cycles.

Our planet is hurtling through space at more than 60,000 miles per hour, so it should come as no surprise that the geological features of the earth should be affected by things like wind, changing weather patterns, and — of course — gravity. As we plough through space, we encounter all kinds of space dust that rains down on us. At night, we can see some of it as meteor showers.

According to the CBS-TV’s “The Nature of Things,” Earth gets about 60 tons heavier every day because so much dust is accumulated in a single rotation of the globe.