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Plate Tectonics

This comprehensive overview explores Earth's interior, including its layers—the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. Geologists utilize direct evidence from rock samples and indirect evidence from seismic waves to learn about these layers. The crust comprises solid rock, including granite and basalt, while the mantle is a thick, hot, solid region leading to the liquid outer core composed of molten iron and nickel. The inner core is a dense, solid sphere. The study of seismic waves enables geologists to infer the structure, temperature, and composition of Earth's interior.

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Plate Tectonics

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  1. Plate Tectonics Section 1: Earth’s Interior Section 2: Convection and the Mantle Section 3: Drifting Continents Section 4: Sea-Floor Spreading Section 5: The Theory of Plate Tectonics

  2. Earth’s Interior • How have geologists learned about Earth’s inner structure? • Geologists have used two main types of evidence to learn about Earth’s interior: • Direct evidence • from rock samples • Indirect evidence • from seismic waves

  3. Earth’s Interior • Geologists cannot look inside Earth • Use an indirect method. • Seismic Waves (Earthquake waves) • Study how they travel through Earth. • Data reveals several layers

  4. Earth’s Interior

  5. Earth’s Interior • Crust • Mantle • Outer Core • Inner Core

  6. Earth’s Interior • Crust • Solid layer of rock that includes both dry land and the ocean floor • Between 5 and 40 km thick • Dry land • Granite • light in color • less dense • Ocean floor • Basalt • dark in color • more dense

  7. Earth’s Interior • Mantle • very hot, but solid rock • about 3,000 km thick • Lithosphere • Crust and Upper Mantle region • “Lithos”, Greek for Stone • Asthenosphere • Remainder of Mantle • Very soft and hotter than Lithosphere • “Asthenes”, Greek for Weak • *Lower Mantle • Solid and extends to the Core region

  8. Earth’s Interior

  9. Earth’s Interior • Core • Mostly Iron and Nickel • Outer Core • molten metal (Fe and Ni) that surrounds the Inner Core. • Liquid • creates the magnetic field of the Earth • Bar-magnet with North and South Poles • Inner Core • dense ball of metal (Fe and Ni) • Intense pressure prevents it from changing from solid to liquid.

  10. Earth’s Interior • Pressure and Temperature increase as you move towards the center of the Earth

  11. Earth’s Interior • Core

  12. Earth’s Interior Assessment Questions • Why is it difficult to determine Earth’s inner structure? • How are seismic waves used to provide evidence about Earth’s interior? • List Earth’s three main layers • What is the difference between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere? • In which layer is each located?

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