by Michaela Duffus
Will there ever be another planet that can do the same things that Earth is capable of? Earth is one of several planets in our solar system, but there are a few factors that make it unique. These factors may one day be found on another planet; however, as far as it is known, only Earth has these characteristics and is inhabited. Earth’s large surface area of water as well as its ability to provide habitats for living things displays the ways in which it is unique compared to other planets.
Earth steadily changes to maintain a balance by way of seasonal shifts. Seasonal changes are caused by the tilt of its axis. Earth’s tilt causes our yearly cycle of seasons. During part of the year, the northern hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun, and the southern hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun (NASA). Due to this tilt, Earth enjoys four (4) seasons which makes things more comfortable for life by helping to maintain a change in weather, so things do not stay too hot or too cold for extended periods of time.
As well as axial tilt, there is a complex distribution of gravity on Earth since the planet is not perfectly symmetrical. Harvey notes that, “The slight deformation of the crust explains 25 percent to 45 percent of the unusually low gravity; the rest may be explained by a downward drag caused the motion of magma in Earth’s mantle (the layer just beneath the crust), researchers reported in the journal Science” (LiveScience). In places like the Hudson Bay, there is an uneven amount of gravity; however, the environment has adapted to it and things function smoothly to support life. Gravity is a necessity for Earth’s habitats even if it is not perfect given that there are differences in gravity in some areas.
Earth also has a large surface area of water unlike any other planet in the Solar System. Although there is a lot of water, it is not all the same kind of water. One category supersedes (in percentage) the rest. Water makes up about 71% of the Earth’s surface. To break the numbers down, 96.5% of all the Earth’s water is contained within the oceans as salt water while the remaining 3.5% is freshwater lakes and frozen water locked up in glaciers and the polar ice caps (Universe Today, 2014). Saltwater has the highest percentage simply because of the oceans that surround all countries on earth. The oceans cover most of Earth’s surface, “yet humans have only explored or mapped about 20 percent, meaning most of the planet’s vast seas have never been seen. Some three hundred million years ago, there was just one continent, a massive supercontinent called Pangaea. This means there was just one giant sea, called Panthalassa” (LiveScience). Although freshwater percentages are minor compared to saltwater in oceans, they still account for a lot of water just because of how much water there really is. Those types of water are commonly acknowledged, but there is another type that is often overlooked called groundwater. Groundwater is important for energy and food security, human health and ecosystems (Nature Geoscience, 2016). Groundwater is the water beneath Earth’s surface that sustains plants, fills in bodies of water, and is a source of drinking water needed to sustain life. Groundwater helps to do the work that would be complicated for living things to accomplish on a consistent basis. So, the large mass of water on earth makes it unique.
Continents and islands make up 29% of the Earth’s surface: “Like Mars and Venus, Earth has volcanoes, mountains, and valleys. Earth’s lithosphere, which includes the crust (both continental and oceanic) and the upper mantle, is divided into huge plates that are constantly moving” (NASA). Earth is also habitable. Living things like plants and animals help to keep the ecosystem running smoothly. Earth has evolved and grown as the living things on it have evolved and grown to help make life more suitable for them. Earth has many habitats that support biodiverse plant and animal life. These include forest, desert, mountain, tundra, wetland, island, aquatic, and extreme habitats. They each support a wide range of distinct species. Being a habitat to living things makes Earth unique; however, human life has, in turn, produced pollution that effects these habitats. Pollution is an issue with many impacts that has gained attention in recent years. Due to this attention, “Earth Hour” was created: “The idea for Earth Hour was first conceived by the World Wildlife Fund in Australia in 2005 in response to scientific data revealing the devastating impact of climate change” (CBC News, 2023). “Earth Hour” encourages individuals and organizations around the world to turn off all their non-essential lights for one hour in a show of respect for Earth (CBC News, 2023).
To conclude, Earth is a unique planet that is important to protect so that it can keep the things that make it special. It is necessary to make sure that we do our part to upkeep Earth especially given the lack of alternatives: “Space scientists have found evidence of Earth-like planets orbiting distant stars, including an alien planet called Kepler 22-b circling in the habitable zone of a star much like ours. However, Earth is the only planet in the known universe that is confirmed to host life, so whether any of these planets will harbor life is an open question” (LiveScience). From Earth’s high-water percentage to diversified habitats for living things, Earth is a unique planet compared to the others surrounding it.
Works Cited
Barnett, Amanda. “Facts About Earth.” NASA, 2025, https://science.nasa.gov/earth/facts/
“Earth Hour: 4 Things to Know about the Annual Environmental Event.” CBC News, 23 March 2013,
Gleeson, Tom. “The Global Volume and Distribution of Modern Groundwater.” Nature Geoscience, 16 November 2015, https://www.nature.com/articles/ngeo2590
Harvey, Ailsa. “50 Interesting Facts about Earth.” Live Science, 20 June 2024, https://www.livescience.com/19102-amazing-facts-earth.html#section-bibliography
“Pollution Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pollution
Williams, Matthew. “What Percentage of Earth is Water?” Universe Today, 1 December 2014,
https://www.universetoday.com/articles/what-percent-of-earth-is-water