Aim: How is Earth’s interior Structured?

Do Now: Why do you think Earth has layers?

What material do you think make up those layers?

I. Layers of the Earth

• layers are defined by their specific composition, temperature and density.

Where would the highest temperatures

be located?

A) Crust- thin outer rocky layer

- least dense of all the layers- Oceanic Crust – mostly Basalt bedrock (more dense)- Continental Crust – mostly Granite Bedrock (less dense)

The deepest hole drilled by man is 7.6 mi deep

(Kola Peninsula, Russia). That is only 1% of the

Earth’s entire thickness.

B) Mantle- thickest layer consisting plastic fluid-like material.

- Meteorites provide clues as to what the interior of earth is made of. (they were made from the same material at the same time) Chondrites: stony (non-

metallic) meteorites that were formed from dust and rocks

that were present in the early solar system.

C) Core

- deepest layers of the Earth.- composed of iron and nickel.

- Inner Core solid iron and nickel

- Outer Core liquid iron and nickel

How many cores does Earth have?

II. Physical Properties

A) Lithosphere – consists of the crust and uppermost mantle.

- Forms a cool, rigid shell made of rock.

B) Asthenosphere –

- a soft, weak layer beneath the lithosphere.

- rocks are close to their melting points in this layer. (plastic-fluid like material)

- the lithosphere floats on the asthenosphere.

Why does it float?

III. Discovering New LayersMoho - (Mohorovicic Discontinuity)

- separates the crust from the underlying mantle within the lithosphere.

Page 10 - ESRT

Closure:

• Please complete the worksheet on Layers of the Earth.