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Major Earth Layers Crust
the thin outer layer we see. It is made of cool, solid rock. It can either be oceanic crust or continental crust.
Major Earth Layers Mantle
a rock that behaves similarly to modeling clay. It can move, but only very slowly. Temperatures range from 500°C to over 4,000°C
Major Earth Layers Outer Core
very hot liquid iron and nickel. Temperatures range from 4,400°C to 6,100°C
Major Earth Layers Inner Core
solid, composed mostly of iron and some nickel. Even though it is very, very hot, the weight of all the rock above it causes the inner core to remain in a solid state.
Lithosphere
the solid outer portion of the Earth. This includes the crust and the upper mantle, which behaves like solid rock.
Asthenosphere
the denser and less rigid layer of the Earth. This portion of the mantle is more viscous. While it is still solid rock, it is hot enough to flow over long periods of time and is thus described as in a plastic state.
Why do plates move?
The heat from the core keeps the mantle hot enough to flow and creates convection currents within the mantle layer.
What are plates?
tectonic plates are made of a piece of crust and the rigid upper layer of the mantle. Together, they compose the lithosphere. These plates float on a layer of partially molten rock in the mantle, the asthenosphere
