Name___________________________
Earth’s Layers Comparison Chart
Earth’s Layers
Crust
Upper Mantle
(less solid)
Lower Mantle
(more solid)
Temperature
Air Temp to
1,600degrees F
(coolest)
1,600
Degrees F
To
4,000 degrees F
Density
2.5 -3.0 g/cm 3
(the least dense)
Composition
Continental crustgranite (thicker)
Oceanic crust- basalt
(thinner)
Other Comments
Continental crust- we can
see it is what we live on
Oceanic crust – is under
the water
3.5 g/cm3
More dense than the
crust but Less dense
than the lower mantle
(dense)
Silicon, oxygen,
aluminum, iron,
magnesium
Contains the lithosphere
and the asthenosphere
Density increases as
depth increases
Silicon, oxygen,
aluminum, iron,
magnesium
More iron in lower
mantle
More dense than the
upper mantle
(Very dense)
9,032 degrees F
11.5 g/cm 3
( the Most Dense)
Solid because of
extreme pressure
Solid iron and nickel
Extreme pressure
3,992-9,032
degrees F
9.5 11.5 g/ cm 3
(extremely dense)
liquid
Melted iron, and
nickel
Provides Earth’s
magnetic field
Inner Core
Outer Core
Layer
Lithosphere
Meaning
Greek word meaning
rock and stone
Location
In the upper portion
of the upper mantle
Asthenosphere
Means without
strength
It is located beneath
the lithosphere in the
lower portion of the
upper mantle
Description
It is made up of the
crust and the upper
mantle
It is brittle or
breakable
It is gooey like melted
plastic
Pieces of tectonic
plates float on this
layer
Relationship to Plates
This is what the plates
are made of
This is how tectonic
plates move