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Earth's Layers: Crust, Mantle, Core - Structure & Composition Overview

Discover the Earth's layers - Crust, Mantle, Outer Core, Inner Core. Learn about their composition, thickness, and unique characteristics such as the Sial and Sima layers in the crust. Explore the dominant elements like oxygen, silicon, iron in the crust and mantle, and the solid and molten properties of the Earth's core.

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Earth's Layers: Crust, Mantle, Core - Structure & Composition Overview

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  1. Layers of the Earth Crust Mantle Outer Core Inner Core

  2. Crust • Avg. thickness- 35 km • 2 kinds • 1. Continental • 20-90 km thick; known as sial; contains older rock, primarily granite; less dense than oceanic crust • 2. Oceanic • 5-10 km thick; known as sima; younger rock, primarily basalt; more dense crust

  3. Crust Cont. • All life exists in the crust of the Earth. • Approximately 90 different elements are found in the crust, but 5 make up 90% of the crust- oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, & calcium • Sodium, potassium, & magnesium are the most common elements in the remaining 10%

  4. Mantle Earth’s mantle contains 80% of Earth’s volume & 67% of Earth’s mass. Common elements found in the mantle are: silicon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, & magnesium. The mantle consists of solid rock, except for the asthenosphere. Density increases in the mantle as depth increases

  5. Layers of the Mantle • The mantle is divided into 3 sections. • Lithosphere- consists of the uppermost part of the mantle (rigid rock) & the crust. Average thickness is 100 km. • - Moho’s discontinuity- boundary separating crust from mantle; discovered in 1909 using seismic data; found approximately 30 km from Earth’s surface

  6. Layers of the Mantle cont. 2. Asthenosphere- 100-250 km deep; more fluid layer, but not liquid 3. Mesosphere- lowest layer; rigid rock; 660-2900 km deep -temperature increases with depth, as does density

  7. Core Diameter of the total core is 6960 km = to approximately the diameter of Mars The core is 1/6 of Earth’s volume & 1/3 of its total mass

  8. Outer Core • Approximately 2270 km thick • Temperature approximately 4000-5000º Celsius • Liquid; very dense molten iron & nickel • Believed to create Earth’s magnetic field; similar to the magnetic field around a magnet

  9. Inner Core • Temperature is about 5000º Celsius • Believed to be solid; very dense iron & nickel • Remains solid due to immense pressure (may be 2 million times stronger than normal pressure exerted on Earth’s surface); molecules can not spread out & become liquid

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