Layers of the Earth

Lithosphere

Asthenosphere

Earth’s Layers

Earth’s Layers

Inner Core

750 mileradius

Outer Core1,430 miles

Mantle

1,800 miles

Crust(10-25 miles)

Inside Our Earth

The inner core is made of nickel and iron.

The outer core isMade ofnickel and iron.

The crust is made of soil, water and rock.

The mantle is iron and magnesium.

Composition of the Earth’s Layers

The inner core Has a 750 radius

The outer core is1,430 miles thick

The crust is 10-25 miles thick

The mantle is 1,800 miles thick

Thickness of the Earth’s Layers

The inner core is solid

The outer core isliquid

The crust is solid

The mantle is part solid, part liquid

State of Matter of the Earth’s Layers

1. So how far away is the center of the Earth?

• 25+1800+1430+750– 4,005 miles

• Is that the radius or diameter?– radius

2. The Lithosphere is made of the crust and upper mantle

3. The Lithosphere is broken into many sections or plates.

4. Some plates are lighter than others.

5. The lithosphere is made of two igneous rock types:

•Continental crust - granite (light)•Oceanic crust - basalt (heavy)

6. Because granite is lighter than basalt, the continents sit on top of the denser oceanic plates

7. Mantle is the largest layer over 1800 miles thick8. It is composed of mostly liquid rock that moves due to temperature differences9. 1800 degrees F at the top, 4000 degrees F

near the bottom.

10. Outer Core-Very hot liquid metals 4,000 degrees F to 9000 degrees F11. Made of Nickel and Iron 12. This liquid core produces a magnetic field that helps protect earth from coronal mass ejections (CME’s) produced by the sun.

Protective Magnetic Field

13. In the Inner Core, temperatures and pressures are so great, the liquidmetals are forced back into a solid despite the high temperatures that would normally melt them.14. 45,000,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. 15. 3,000,000 times more pressure than felt at sea level.

How do we know what’s inside?

16Geologists study earthquakes and volcanoes

17. Seismic waves caused by

earthquakes change direction as they

move through different materials

(such as solids and liquids)

http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es0402/es0402page03.cfm

Earthquake wave animation:http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/2002/2002_11_03_waveani.php

I’m going to dig a hole to _____

Dig a hole to the other side of Earth

http://www.ubasics.com/dighole/http://www.livephysics.com/ptools/dig-hole-through-earth.php

I’m going to dig a hole to China!

• You will have to start in Chile, South America

Will you make it to the other side?

• If you could survive the temperatures (over 8,000 degrees F) and the pressure (3,000,000 times the force of gravity) and you could “climb” out the other side (down is towards the center of Earth), then YES!

• If you could just freefall all the way through Earth (8,000 miles) it would take you about 42 minutes falling at 17,700 mph.

http://www.daviddarling.info/childrens_encyclopedia/Dig_a_Hole_to_China_Chapter5.html