Layers of Earth Crust • Crust: a layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer skin –Includes land forms, soil, water, etc. . Crust
Layers of Earth Crust • Basalt: Ocean crust made of dark dense rock and is very thin • Granite: Continental crust that is less dense but is thicker (especially where mountains are present) Continental Crust Oceanic Crust 2 -3 miles thick Basalt More dense 20 -35 miles thick Granite Less dense
Layers of Earth Mantle • Mantle: Layer of hot rock under the crust • The mantle is 3, 000 km thick Mantle
Layers of Earth Mantle • Lithosphere: upper most part of the mantle and lower part of the crust • About 100 kilometers thick • Solid and broken up into plates by cracks Lithosphere
Layers of Earth Mantle • The temperature and pressure in the mantle increases with depth • The increasing pressure and high temperature cause the lower part of the mantle (asthenosphere) to be soft and gives it the ability to flow easily (plasticity)
Layers of Earth Mantle • Asthenosphere: Lower, plasticity part of the mantle that flows easily • The core heats this section of the earth, and causes convection current to flow here Asthenosphere
Layers of Earth Core • Core: inner most part of the earth consisting of 2 parts Core
Layers of Earth Core • Outer core: thick liquid, molten material • Inner core: dense ball of solid metal (iron and nickel)