EARTH’S INTERIOR

Earth’s InteriorEarth is not a solid ball of rock!

•Earth has 3 distinct layers:

1. Crust

2. Mantle

3. Core

How are earth’s layers similar to an egg?

Let’s see…

Earth’s LayersHow are earth’s layers similar to an egg?

Shell White YolkCrust Mantle Core

Earth’s CrustWe live on Earth’s crust.

• The crust is the outer layer and it is made of solid rock.

• Earth’s crust is very thin compared to the other layers (only 5-70 km thick)

If Earth were the size of a chicken’s egg, the crust would be thinner than the egg’s shell.

Types of Crust• 2 types of crust:

Continental-crust that forms continents•light & buoyant•made of granite•coarse texture

Oceanic-crust beneath the ocean•dense & heavy•made of basalt•fine texture, dark color

Types of Crust• 2 types of crust:

Continental-crust that forms continents•light & buoyant•made of granite•coarse texture

Oceanic-crust beneath the ocean•dense & heavy•made of basalt•fine texture, dark color

Earth’s Mantle• Mantle-thick layer of rock between crust and core.

The mantle is very hot!Because it is so hot much of the mantle is soft, like melted candy. The rock from the mantle sometimes

comes to the surface as lava through volcanoes.

Since no one has ever been to the mantle or the core, how do scientists know what it’s like?

Parts of Earth’s Mantle

Asthenosphere- Lithosphere sits on top of a hot, softened layer of mantle.

Lower Mantle-The lowest layer of the mantle is solid. Lower Mantle

Upper Mantle

Upper Mantle-a thin layer of solid mantle under the crust.

Lithosphere-the crust & solid upper mantle together

Whoa, what?

REVIEW:

Flashback lesson

What is Wind?

SEA BREEZE

LAND BREEZE

Non-Rotating Earth Model

Basic Convection

Convecting Mantle

Core

Mantle

Hot

ColdCold

Convection currents carry hot mantle towards the surface while colder material sinks back into the interior.

What Drives the Plates?

The Earth is warmest at the center and cooler

farther out.

An unstable situation: warm material wants to

rise towards the surface!

Convecting Mantle

Haiti EarthquakeJan. 12, 2010Magnitude 7

Tectonic Plates• Earth’s lithosphere is broken into about 17 pieces

• These plates ride on top of the asthenosphere

Tectonic plates move from the mantle’s convection currents.

Chile EarthquakeFeb. 26, 2010Magnitude 8.8

Japan EarthquakeMarch 11, 2011Magnitude 8.9

• The core is the center layer of the Earth.

• It is the hottest layer and can be divided into 2 parts:

Earth’s Core

1. Inner core-solid iron & nickel

2. Outer core- molten (liquid) iron & nickel

Earth has 3 layers:– Crust-thinnest layer

• Continental crust-granite• Oceanic crust-basalt

– Mantle 4 parts:

• Lithosphere- rock of the crust and upper mantle• Asthenosphere-“plasticity” “molten”• Lower Mantle-solid

– Core 2 parts, made of iron & nickel (metals)• Outer Core-liquid• Inner core-solid

Summary

Upper Mantle, Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Lower Mantle

Crust, Mantle & Core

Label the layers of the Earth:

Asthenoshpere

Continental crust

Crust

Inner Core

Lithosphere

Mantle

Oceanic crust

Outer Core

Answer KeyA. Inner Core

B. Outer Core

C. Mantle

D. Crust

E. Asthenoshpere

F. Oceanic crust

G. Continental crust

H. Lithosphere

Let’s Play

Just beneath the crust

Crust + Solid Upper Mantle

Solid iron & nickel

Thinnest layer

Just under the mantle

Molten “plastic”

Melted iron & nickel

Very center of Earth

Outermost layer

Tectonic plates ride on top

Solid granite

Earth’s ________ is divided into sections.

lithosphere

These sections are known as …