A Journey to the A Journey to the Center of the Earth Center of the Earth

and back!and back!

The Layers of the EarthThe Layers of the Earth

If you could burrow to the center of the Earth, what

would you expect to happen to the pressure,

the temperature, and the solidity of the matter?

What are the 3 main layers of What are the 3 main layers of the Earth?the Earth?

•Crust

•Mantle

•Core

Let’s break it Let’s break it down!down!

From the inside out…From the inside out…

The CoreThe Core

The Inner Core

- 1,228 km in diameter

- Metal (iron)- HOT, HOT, HOT!!!!

(6,000° C)

- Very dense sphere (SOLID)

The Outer Core

- 2,200 km thick- The Outer Core is

LIQUID!

The Inner Core at 6,000° C is

HOTTER than the surface of the sun at 5,500° C. BUT, the center of the sun is

15 million degrees C.

The MantleThe Mantle

Mesosphere

- 2,500 km thick- “meso-”

means?Middle

- Strong, inner part of mantle

Asthenosphere

- 250 km thick- “astheno-”

means?Weak

- Soft layer (putty-like)

- Viscous solidEX: butter, clay

The LithosphereThe Lithosphere Made of: Upper Ridge Part of

the Mantle and Crust 15 – 300 km thick “litho-” means? Rock Is divided into pieces

called?Tectonic Plates

Plates slide over the Asthenosphere

CrustCrust

• Oceanic Crust – 5 km to 8 km

• Continental Crust – 30 km to 100 km deep

““Layers of the Layers of the Earth”Earth”

handouthandout

Layers Thickness in kilometers (km)

Round to nearest hundred

Drawing thickness in

centimeters (cm)

Core

Inner Core

Outer Core

Mantle

Mesosphere

Asthenosphere

Scale of Drawing: 500 km = 1 cm