Layers of the Earth

study for test on friday

Crust

The Outer Shell

-where life & natural resources exist

-continental crust, oceanic crust

Thickness: 70km/5km

Temperature: 500C (Towards the mantle) and cooler celsius (Towards the surface)

1% of Earth’s volume → Crust, even though it’s a livable home

Mantle

The Thickest Layer

-largest

-84% of the total volume

-semi-fluid/solid

Thickness: 2.9k km towards the outer core

Composition: Magnesium & Iron

Temperature: 500C (Near the crust) and 4000C (Near the inner core)

Key Feature: Drives plate tectonics, causes Convection Current (caused by heat in the core) Earthquakes and Earth landscapes (Mountains & volcanoes)

Outer Core

The Liquid Layer

-responsible for the magnetic field

Thickness: 2.2k km

Composition: Liquid Metals (Iron & Nickel)

Temperature: 4,500C - 6,000C

Key Feature: Magnetic shield/field (created/caused by composition) protecting life from solar radiation

Inner Core

The Solid Center

-the center of the earth

Radius - 1,220 km

Composition: Iron & Nickel (Solid)

Temperature: 7,000C (Compared to Sun’s surface)

Key Feature: Immense pressure keeps the core solid despite the extreme heat.

OPT: Fun fact - Inner core grows slowly as the outer core cools, adding solid metal to its surface