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Layers of The Earth Summary

The Earth has four distinct layers including the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. The crust is the outer solid rock layer, the mantle is the thickest layer that is mostly solid except the upper mantle, the outer core is composed of liquid iron and nickel, and the inner core is mostly solid iron.

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Christopher Sparkman
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30 views

Layers of The Earth Summary

The Earth has four distinct layers including the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. The crust is the outer solid rock layer, the mantle is the thickest layer that is mostly solid except the upper mantle, the outer core is composed of liquid iron and nickel, and the inner core is mostly solid iron.

Uploaded by

Christopher Sparkman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Layers of the Earth Summary

Earth Layers

Earth is over 6350 km thick and has four distinct layers.


1. Crust – outer solid rock layer (granite on land, basalt in oceans)
2. Mantle – thickest layer, mostly solid except for upper mantle being able to flow like “thick toothpaste”
3. Outer core – composed of liquid iron and nickel
4. Inner core – mostly solid iron, at tremendous temperature and pressure
Earth’s Layered Structure

Layers Defined by Composition


Earth’s interior consists of three major zones defined by their chemical composition—the crust, mantle, and core.
 Crust
o Thin, Rocky outer layer
o Varies in thickness
Continental Crust Oceanic Crust

-Continental crust averages 10-70 km - Roughly 5-10 km in oceanic regions


- Exceeds 70 km in mountainous regions - dense (sinks under continental crust)
- forms the land we see today - young rock made from basalt
- old rock mostly made from granite

 Mantle
o 500-6000 °C
o Below crust to a depth of 2900 kilometers
 Thickest layer – 70% of Earth’s Volume
o Composition of the uppermost mantle is the igneous rock peridotite (Iron and Magnesium) – but
changes at greater depth
 Core
o Below Mantle
o Sphere with a radius of 3500 kilometers
o Composed of an iron-nickel alloy
Layers Defined by Physical Properties

 Lithosphere
o Crust and uppermost mantle (about 100 km thick)
o Cool, rigid, solid
 Asthenosphere
o Beneath the lithosphere
o Upper Mantle
o To a depth of about 660 km
o Soft, weak layer that is easily deformed
 Lower Mantle
o 660-2900 km
o More rigid (firm) layer
o Rocks are very hot and capable of gradual flow
 Outer Core
o Liquid layer
o 2270km thick, 4400-6000 °C
o Convective flow of metallic iron within generates Earth’s Magnetic Field
 Inner Core
o Sphere with a radius of 1216 km, 5000-6000 °C
o Behaves like a solid

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