The Earth: The Miracle Planet
The Earth in Space
Facts about our Planet
The earth is one of nine planets in the Solar System.
The sun is at the centre of the solar system and all of
the planets orbit the sun.
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More than 6 billion people live on our planet.
2/3 of the earth’s surface is covered by water.
1/8 of the earth’s surface is covered by deserts
1/10 of the earth’s surface is covered by mountains
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1/4 of the earth’s surface is covered by forests.
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Inside Planet Earth
If we could cut through the
earth like an apple we would
see that it is made up of
3 different layers.
These are called the,
1.
2.
3.
The Crust
The Mantle
The Core
Inside Planet Earth
The Structure of the Earth
The Earth’s Crust
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The crust is the outer skin
of the earth. It is like the
skin on a piece of fruit or
the crust on bread.
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However, the earth’s crust
is made up of a layer of
solid rock 10-60km thick.
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This hard shell is where
we live.
The Mantle
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Beneath the hard crust is a layer of hot,
soft rock called the mantle.
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The rocks in the mantle are molten or
melted because it is so hot (4000 C).
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This molten rock is called magma.
The Core
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Beneath the mantle, in the centre of the earth,
we find the earth’s core. It is made of hot metals
such as iron and nickel.
The core can be divided into an inner and an
outer core.
The Outer Core is made of molten metals
because is so hot.
The Inner Core is made of solid metal because
the pressure is so great.
The Earth’s Crust - Plates
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The earth’s crust is not an
unbroken shell.
It is made up of a number of
different pieces, like the
surface of a leather football.
Each one of these pieces is
called a Plate. The plates fit
together like a jigsaw.
Plates meet each other at plate
boundaries.
All of the plates have names,
such as the Eurasian Plate
and the American Plate.
The Earth’s Plates
The Earth’s Plates
The Earth’s Plates
Plate Movement
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The plates which make up the earth’s crust are
continually moving.
This is because the plates are floating on top of the
molten (melted) rock of the Mantle.
Convection currents within the mantle cause the molten
rock to move, thus moving the plates floating on top of
them.
This movement is very slow, but it means that the plates
continually collide, pull apart, and push past one another.
Plate Movement
Continental Drift
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We now know that the plates
move because they are
floating on top of the mantle.
The continents, such as
America and Africa, are
attached to the American Plate
and the African Plate.
Therefore, when the plates
move, the continents move
too. This movement of the
continents is called Continental
Drift.
Continental Drift is still
occurring today. For e.g.
Europe is still slowly moving
away from America.