The Earths Layers Standard S 6 E 5

The Earth’s Layers

Standard • S 6 E 5 – Students will investigate the scientific view of how Earth’s surface is formed.

The Earth is divided into three layers.

Crust • Thin, nearly solid rock layer that is uppermost in Earth’s structure. • Thinnest layer • Nearly solid rock. • Crust is the thickness under the continents at 25 miles deep.

Crust • The Earth's crust is like the skin of an apple. It is very thin in comparison to the other three layers.

Lithosphere • Area where Earth’s crust and upper mantle combine to form a rigid shell. • The lithosphere is where Earth is broken into “plates. ”

Asthenosphere • Area where the plates of the lithosphere float and move along the softer plastic-like part of the mantle

Mantle • The mantle is the thickest layer of the Earth and makes up 85% of the total weight of the Earth’s mass. • Rock material is partially melted

Upper & Lower Mantle • The upper mantle made of the lithosphere and asthenosphere. Therefor it is more solid than the lower mantle • The lower mantle is softer than the upper mantle. Although it is not completely liquid.

Upper & Lower Mantle • The differences between the upper and lower mantle (density, elements, etc) are so small that scientist mostly refer to it as only the “mantle. ”

Core • The core of the Earth is much like a ball of very hot metals. The inner core is surrounded by a fluid iron outer core.

Outer & Inner Core • Outer core is the only layer in liquid state • Inner core is the hottest layer made up of iron & nickel, but the pressure keeps the metal from melting