Layers of the Earth
Hello students and teachers! Well you have stumbled upon my website and I assume you are learning about the layers of the Earth in school, or you just want to have some fun with science. In this section you will find, well of course you will find the layers of the Earth. Also some pretty cool facts about each layer that I bet will WOW you. Did you know that convection currents cause the crust to move? I bet you didn't, these are some of the wonderful things you will learn about on my website.
Crust
The crust is made up of basalt and granite type rocks. It's temperature ranges from 200 degrees celsius to 400 degrees celsius and it occupies less then 1% of the Earth's total volume. Imagine that, everything that we are standing on makes up less
then 1% of the Earth. Under the ocean it's about 5km thick, but under the continents it can be 65km thick.
then 1% of the Earth. Under the ocean it's about 5km thick, but under the continents it can be 65km thick.
Mantle
The mantle is divided into two parts; the Asthenosphere and the Listosphere. The Asthenospere is a plastic like fluid, while the Listospere is a dense rock. The mantle is the thickest layer of the Earth, and is approximately 2,900km thick and occupies 84% of the Earth's total volume. The mantle is red hot and has a temperature that ranges from 500 degrees celcius to 4,000 degrees celcius. The mantle is made up of nine elements which are O, Si, Mg, Fe, Al, Ca, Na, K, and sum. Also the mantle has eight compounds which are SiO2, MgO, FeO, FeO, Al2O3, CaO, Na2O, and sum.
Lithosphere & Asthenosphere
The lithosphere is the hard outer layer of the mantle made up of the crust and the upper mantle. There are also two different kinds of lithospheres depending whether you are under the ocean or under the continents, they are called the "Oceanic Lithosphere" and the "Continental Lithosphere". The oceanic lithosphere consists mainly of mafic crust and ultramafic mantle (peridotite) and is denser than continental lithosphere. Oceanic lithosphere thickens as it ages and moves away from the mid-ocean ridge. This thickening occurs by cooling, which converts hot asthenosphere into lithospheric mantle, and causes the oceanic lithosphere to become increasingly thick and harder and heavier with age.
Mafic: Rock made up with various dark minerals.
Peridotite: Coarse rock made from a mixture of various minerals.
Felsic: Consisting of light colored minerals.
The asthenosphere is a portion of the upper mantle just below the lithosphere that is involved in plate tectonic movements. Even though it has a high temperature, pressures keep it like plastic, and it has a relatively low density. Seismic waves pass relatively slowly through the asthenosphere compared to the overlying lithospheric mantle. The asthenosphere is the mechanically weak and deforming region of the upper mantle of the Earth. It lies below the lithosphere, at depths between 100 and 200 km below the surface, but perhaps extending as deep as 700 km.
Mafic: Rock made up with various dark minerals.
Peridotite: Coarse rock made from a mixture of various minerals.
Felsic: Consisting of light colored minerals.
The asthenosphere is a portion of the upper mantle just below the lithosphere that is involved in plate tectonic movements. Even though it has a high temperature, pressures keep it like plastic, and it has a relatively low density. Seismic waves pass relatively slowly through the asthenosphere compared to the overlying lithospheric mantle. The asthenosphere is the mechanically weak and deforming region of the upper mantle of the Earth. It lies below the lithosphere, at depths between 100 and 200 km below the surface, but perhaps extending as deep as 700 km.
Convection Currents
Convection currents are located in the mantle. The mantle is made up of two sections, the upper and the lower mantle. The upper mantle and crust make up the lithosphere. The lower mantle is called the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is made up of solid /rigid plate. As the hot substance in the lower mantle rises; it pushes the cooler upper mantle material down. This circular motion causes the plates in the lithosphere and the crust to move.
Outer Core
The outer core is a liquid layer which is made up of iron and nickel. It's 2,226km thick and has a growth rate of 1 mm per year. The outer core also makes up a magnetic field and deflects the sun's wind. The temperature in the outer core can range from 4,400 degrees celcius to 6,100 degrees celsius.
Inner Core
The inner core is the hottest part of the Earth; it has a temperature of 5,505 degrees Celsius. It's a solid ball that is made up of iron and nickel, alloy, gold, and platinum. The inner core makes large scale seismic waves, and it has a radius of 1,220 km. The inner core can make very large seismic waves; also the inner core is resistant to the outer cores liquid.