Download LAYERS OF THE EARTH

LAYERS OF THE EARTH
1. lithosphere – the rigid (hard) outer shell of the earth. It includes the
crust and the top of the upper mantle.
2. crust – the outermost, solid layer of the earth. It is made up of land
and ocean floor. It ranges in thickness from about 5 miles (oceanic
crust) to 25 miles (continental crust). The crust is more dense under
the ocean and less dense under the continents. The oceanic crust is
mostly composed of basalt. The continental crust is mainly made of
granite. The crust temperature is up to 930 degrees Farenheit.
3. asthenosphere – the layer of the upper mantle where rocks melt due
to high temperatures (above 2,200 F). This layer is flowing, which
allows the continents to drift.
4. mantle – the thick layer below the earth’s crust (about 1,800 miles
thick). The lower mantle, or inner mantle, is solid. Mantle rock is
constantly being driven up toward the surface by the enormous
temperatures below, which cause huge convection currents. As mantle
rock nears the surface, it cools and sinks back down. The temperature
of the mantle goes up to about 5,000 F.
5. outer core – consists of metals in a fluid state. This is where Earth’s
magnetic field is generated. The outer core is mainly iron and nickel
and it is 1,400 miles thick.
6. inner core – The inner core is solid and is made of nickel and iron.
The temperature of the inner core is about 7,000 F and it is about 800
miles thick.