Earth's Interior Vocabulary

Asthenosphere

the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats

outer core

A layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of Earth

Lithosphere

A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust.

inner core

A dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of Earth

Granite

a usually light colored igneous rock that is found in continental crust and has a coarse texture

crust

The layer of rock that forms Earth's outer surface.

basalt

A dark, dense, igneous rock with a fine texture, found in oceanic crust

seismic waves

vibrations that travel through Earth carrying the energy released during an earthquake

pressure

The force pushing on a surface divided by the area of that surface

mantle

The layer of hot, solid material between Earth's crust and core.