Powerpoint
The
Earth’s
Layers
Students will … illustrate the structural layers of Earth, including the inner core, outer core, mantle, crust, asthenosphere, and lithosphere.
[6.10A]
Each layer of the Earth has its own unique properties.
There are three distinct layers – the crust, mantle, and core – which can then be subdivided into more layers.
Each layer is made up of specific elements .
Crust
Mantle
Core
Outermost layer
Thinnest layer and much cooler than others
2 types of crust
1.
Oceanic (very dense, made of basalt)
2.
Continental (less dense, made of granite)
Thinnest beneath ocean and thickest beneath mountain ranges
Layer beneath crust
Middle layer
Very thick layer
Made up of more iron and magnesium so is very dense
Convection currents occur in the mantle
Consists of the crust and the upper part of the mantle
Solid and rocky
Broken into large pieces called tectonic plates
Earthquakes can occur in the lithosphere
Made up of elements
Oxygen and Silicon
Lithosphere
Beneath the lithosphere
Partially molten
The rock is pliable or plastic-like
Rock here bends, stretches, and flows
The tectonic plates float on this layer
Asthenosphere
Earth’s crust is broken into about a dozen major plates and several minor plates
These plates constantly move on top of the
Asthenosphere
Made up of the elements iron and nickel
1/3 of the Earth’s mass
The core is larger than Mars !
The core is very hot and dense
The outer core is a liquid
The material of the outer core is considered molten as it is extremely hot
Less dense than the inner core
Made up of Iron and
Nickel
Outer Core
The inner core is the most dense
It is solid even though the temperature is very hot due to the extreme pressure
The inner core is composed mostly of
Iron
Inner Core
How are the Earth’s layers similar to an egg?
Shell= crust
Egg white= mantle
Yolk= core
Crust and Lithosphere - rigid outer layer
Mantle and Asthenosphere - solid rock that flows slowly (like hot asphalt)
Outer Coreliquid layer
Inner Coresolid, very dense
http://geomaps.wr.usgs.gov/parks/pltec/#cr ust http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/dynamic.
html
