Document #________
The Earth’s Changing Surface
NOTES Day #2
Subject: II. The Earth’s Changing Surface
Main Ideas
Details
A. Geologist & Geology
B. Surface Changes (2 forces)
1. Constructive
Forces
-Study forces that make and shape the Earth
2. Destructive Forces
-slowly wear away mountains & landmasses
C. Journey to Center of Earth
1. Temperature
-Shape surface by building up mountains & landmasses
- Increases as you get closer to center of Earth.
2. Pressure
- Increases as you get closer to center of Earth.
3. Composition
-“stuff”/material something is made of.
-Changes within each layer of earth.
4. Density
-amount of “stuff”/matter in given space.
-Increases as you get closer to center of Earth.
D. 3 Main Layers: 5 sub layers
1. Crust
-forms outer “Skin”
-Composed mainly of basalt & granite
-temperature from surface temp to 870 degrees C (1,600 F)
-5 – 100 km thick
-Density 2.7 g/cm3 - 3 g/cm3
a. Continental
Crust
-Mainly Granite
-Composed of oxygen, silicon, and aluminum
-Density is 2.7 g/cm3
b. Oceanic Crust
-Mainly Basalt
-Composed of iron, calcium and magnesium
-Density is 3 g/cm3
Solid or Liquid?
Solid
2. Mantle
-Middle layer
-Composed of magnesium aluminum, and silicon
-temperature from 870 degrees C (1,600 F) to 3,700 degrees C
(6,700 F)
-Density 3.4 g/cm3 to 5.4 g/cm3
-2,900 km thick
a. Lithosphere
-Uppermost part of mantle & crust together
-prefix Lithos means stone
-15-300 km thick
-Solid layer
b. Asthenosphere
-Soft layer of mantle under Lithosphere
-prefix Asthenes means weak
-250 km thick
-Soft, but can flow, maybe like thick syrup
c. Mesosphere
-Layer between Asthenosphere and Outer Core
-prefix Meso means middle.
-2,550 km thick
3. Core
-2 Parts
-3,500 km thick
-composed mainly of iron and nickel
-3,700 degrees C (6,700 F) to 7,200 degrees C (13,000 F)
-about the size of moon
a. Outer Core
-only true liquid layer
-melted metal composed mostly of nickel
-density is 10 g/cm3 to 12 g/cm3
-Temp from 3,700 degrees C (6,700 F) to 6,100 degrees C
(11,000 F)
-2,300 km thick
b. Inner Core
-composed mainly of solid iron
-Density is 15 g/cm3
-Temp from 6,100 degrees C (11,000 F) 7,200 degrees C (13,000
F)
-1,200 km thick
Summary: The earth is made of _____ main layers; the _________, ___________, and ________. There are
______ sub layers of the earth; ________________, ________________, ___________________, ___________________, and ________________. As you descend through the layers, the temperature,
density, and pressure __________________ and the composition _____________.