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Earth’s Interior. Let’s get to the heart of the Earth. By the Lunar and Planetary Institute For use in teacher workshops. Image credit: NASA. Compositional Crust Mantle Core. Physical / Mechanical Lithosphere Asthenosphere Mesosphere. Image credit: USGS. What We Know - Crust. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Earth’s InteriorEarth’s InteriorLet’s get to the heart of the EarthLet’s get to the heart of the Earth
By the Lunar and Planetary By the Lunar and Planetary InstituteInstitute
For use in teacher workshopsFor use in teacher workshops
Image credit: NASA
CompositionalCrustMantleCore
Physical / MechanicalLithosphere
AsthenosphereMesosphere Image credit: USGS
What We Know - CrustWhat We Know - Crust Two types of crust:Two types of crust:
ContinentalContinental 30% of crust30% of crust 40 Km thick40 Km thick Oldest is 3.8 billion Oldest is 3.8 billion
years (90% solar system years (90% solar system age; missing ~700 m.y.)age; missing ~700 m.y.)
Oceanic crustOceanic crust 5-10 Km thick5-10 Km thick 200 Ma oldest; 100 Ma 200 Ma oldest; 100 Ma
averageaverage
Image credit: USGS
What We Know - MantleWhat We Know - Mantle Density – between Density – between
crust and corecrust and core 3.3 - 5.5 g/cm3.3 - 5.5 g/cm33
Samples from Samples from volcanic volcanic eruptions, basalt eruptions, basalt composition; lab composition; lab experimentsexperiments
Image credit: John Lahr, USGS Open-File Report 99-132
What We Infer – CoreWhat We Infer – Core No direct No direct
samplessamples Probably heavy Probably heavy
stuffstuff Liquid outer Liquid outer
(molten iron), (molten iron), solid inner solid inner (iron, nickel)(iron, nickel)
Image credit: John Lahr, USGS Open-File Report 99-132
What We Infer – CoreWhat We Infer – Core Total density of Earth is Total density of Earth is
~5,500 km/g~5,500 km/g33
Avg. surface density is ~3,000 Avg. surface density is ~3,000 km/gkm/g33
Core must be very dense!Core must be very dense! Why iron? Meteorites!Why iron? Meteorites!
Earth’s InteriorEarth’s Interior How do we infer the properties of How do we infer the properties of
the core?the core?
Seismic WavesSeismic Waves
Earthquakes generate three types of waves – P, S, & surface waves
We will just concern ourselves with P & S waves
Image credit: USGS
Wave TypesWave Types
Transverse (S) Transverse (S) Waves – particles Waves – particles move move perpendicular to perpendicular to direction of direction of disturbance; rock is disturbance; rock is moved (sheared)moved (sheared)
Image credit: USGS
Wave TypesWave Types Longitudinal (P) Longitudinal (P)
Waves – push-pull Waves – push-pull waves; particles waves; particles move parallel to move parallel to direction of direction of disturbance; rock disturbance; rock changes volume changes volume (compressed & (compressed & dilated) dilated) Image credit: USGS
Earthquake WavesEarthquake Waves P-waves (longitudinal) travel through P-waves (longitudinal) travel through
liquids & solidsliquids & solids
S-waves (transverse) do NOT travel S-waves (transverse) do NOT travel through liquids; solids onlythrough liquids; solids only
Earthquake Waves Hint at Internal Earthquake Waves Hint at Internal LayeringLayering
P-waves (longitudinal) are able to travel through liquids (outer core)
S-waves (transverse) are NOT able to travel through liquids (outer core)
Image credit: LPI
WebsitesWebsites Earthquake dataEarthquake data http://www.iris.edu/hq/
TERC’s Exploring EarthFANTASTIC interactive lessons for students about Earth, visualizations, and more. In particular, explore how we have modeled Earth’s internal structure using seismic waves http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es0402/es0402page04.cfm?chapter_no=investigation