Layers of the Earth - Vocabulary Flashcards (Don Bosco Technical College)

Vocabulary flashcards covering Earth's crust, mantle, core, and related concepts from the lecture notes.

Crust

The outermost solid layer of the Earth; includes continental crust and oceanic crust.

Continental Crust

Thicker, older, and less dense crust that lies beneath the continents.

Oceanic Crust

Thinner crust that underlies the oceans; about 7 km thick on average.

Mantle

The layer beneath the crust; the thickest Earth layer, extending to about 2,900 km, with upper and lower parts.

Upper Mantle

Part of the mantle above the lower mantle, including the lithosphere and asthenosphere.

Lithosphere

Rigid outer portion of the mantle plus the crust; forms Earth's tectonic plates.

Asthenosphere

The softer, flowing layer beneath the lithosphere on which tectonic plates move.

Lower Mantle

The portion of the mantle beneath the asthenosphere; hotter and more rigid due to pressure but still slow-flowing.

Core

Earth's innermost layer, divided into the Outer Core and Inner Core.

Outer Core

Liquid iron-nickel layer; generates Earth's magnetic field.

Inner Core

Solid iron-nickel sphere at Earth's center; extremely hot and dense.

Geosphere

The solid part of the Earth, including rocks, minerals, landforms, and the processes that shape them.

Geothermal energy

Electricity generated from heat stored in Earth's mantle; used by geothermal power plants.

Three main layers

The crust, mantle, and core—the primary divisions of the Earth.

Scale model

A scaled representation of the Earth's layers used in classroom demonstrations to compare sizes.

Cross-sectional view

A cutaway diagram showing the interior structure of the Earth.

Crust thickness

Crust ranges from about 5 to 70 kilometers in thickness.