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2.15: Earth's MantleDifficulty Level: Basic Created by: CK-12

(http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Earth-Science-Concepts-For-Middle-

School/section/2.14/)

(http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Earth-Science-Concepts-For-Middle-

School/section/2.16/)

CK-12 Earth Science Concepts For Middle School (/book/CK-12-Earth-Science-Concepts-For-Middle-School/)Earth as a Planet (/book/CK-12-Earth-Science-Concepts-For-Middle-School/section/2.0/)

Practice Now

Practice Resources Details

What does mantle rock look like?

You can't go to the mantle but small pieces of the mantle can come to you. Kimberlite formsdeep in the mantle and is erupted violently into the crust. Kimberlite can contain diamonds. Mostkimberlites reached the surface much earlier in Earth history.

MantleBeneath the crust is the mantle . The mantle is made of hot, solid rock. They know this becauseof seismic waves (/earth-science/Seismic-Waves), meteorites, and the heat (/physical-science/Heat-in-Physical-Science) that comes from inside the planet. Mantle rock is mostlyperidotite , which is rich in iron and magnesium ( Figure below ). Peridotite is rare at Earth'ssurface.

The rock of the mantle is mostly peridotite. Peridotite is formed of crystals of olivine (green) and pyroxene (black).

Heat (/physical-science/Heat-in-Physical-Science) Flow

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(/)

Through the process of conduction, heat flows from warmer objects to cooler objects ( Figurebelow ). The lower mantle is heated directly by conduction from the core. In conduction , heat istransferred as atoms (/chemistry/Atoms) collide.

In the process of conduction, heat flows from warmer objects to cooler objects.

Hot lower mantle material rises upward ( Figure below ). As it rises, it cools. At the top of themantle it moves horizontally. Over time it becomes cool and dense enough that it sinks. Back atthe bottom of the mantle, it travels horizontally. Eventually the material gets to the locationwhere warm mantle material is rising. The rising and sinking of warm and cooler material iscalled convection .

The rising and sinking of mantle material of different temperatures and densities creates a convection cell.

Summary

The mantle is composed of solid peridotite.

Conduction from the core heats the lower mantle.

Mantle convection (/physical-science/Convection-in-Physical-Science) bring hot material uptoward the surface. It brings cooler material down toward the core.

Explore MoreUse the resource below to answer the questions that follow.

Earth's Mantle at http://www.universetoday.com/26717/earths-mantle/(http://www.universetoday.com/26717/earths-mantle/)

1. What is the mantle?

2. How far does the mantle extend?

3. Where can the mantle be seen?

4. What is the composition of the mantle?

(http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Earth-Science-Concepts-For-Middle-School/section/2.14/)

(http://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Earth-Science-Concepts-For-Middle-School/section/2.16/)

Language:

conduction

convection

peridotite

5. Why does the mantle flow?

Review

1. How do scientists know what the mantle is made of?

2. What is conduction?

3. How does convection (/physical-science/Convection-in-Physical-Science) work in the mantle?

Vocabulary English

PreviousEarth's Crust

NextEarth's Core

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