Download Earth Interior

Earth’s Interior
Part 1
Name _______________________
Date __________________
Hour ______
Problem: What are the layers inside Earth and what are their properties?
Directions: Go to my website and click on the folder labeled “Earth Interior” then click on
“Earth Layers.” Answer questions below.
1. Create a drawing that shows both the structural and the compositional layers of Earth.
Clearly label each layer and whether they are structural or compositional.
2. Why are the compositional layers also called chemical layers?
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3. Why are structural layers also called physical layers?
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4. Why is the earth’s interior divided into both compositional and structural layers?
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Use the terms from the following list to complete the sentences below.
Inner core
outer core
asthenosphere
Mantle
convection
mesosphere
Lithosphere
crust
5. The lithosphere floats on a layer of the Earth’s mantle called the __________________.
6. The liquid layer at the Earth's center is known as the ________________________.
7. The lower part of the mantle below the asthenosphere is called the _________________.
8. The hard, outer layer of the Earth is called the ___________________.
9. The solid layer within the Earth that consists primarily of iron is called the ___________.
10. The __________________ is composed of the crust and the solid portion of the mantle.
11. The largest layer of the Earth’s interior is the _____________________.
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Part 2
Background: Scientists have learned about the physical structure of Earth’s interior by measuring
seismic waves. Seismic waves are an example of traveling waves, or mechanical waves that travel through a
medium. Sound waves are the most familiar example of traveling waves. The speed of sound within a given
medium depends on factors such as the density and compressibility of the medium.
Seismic waves, however, differ from sound waves in that they consist of two different types: P waves (also
called primary or pressure waves) and S waves (also known as secondary or shear waves). One difference
between these waves is that S waves do not travel through liquids, whereas P waves do, although more
slowly than through solids.
Problem: How do we know about the layers deep within Earth?
Directions: Go to the following website to answer the questions for Part 2.
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/investigations/es0402/
es0402page01.cfm?chapter_no=investigation
1. What evidence do you see of the dynamic nature of our planet?
_____________________________________________________________________
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2. Describe how the material is flowing.
_____________________________________________________________________
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3.What types of material do P waves pass through? _______________________________
What types of material do S waves pass through? ______________________________
4. Based on the pattern of the P and S waves, what type of material is this planet made of?
_____________________________________________________________________
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5. Observe the path taken by P and S waves in the model planet. Sketch the layers on your
diagram and indicate if they are solid or liquid. Hint: Look at the waves and how they travel
through the Earth.
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6. Observe the path taken by P and S waves in the model planet. Sketch the layers on your
diagram and indicate if they are solid or liquid. Hint: You may not even see one wave.
7. What happens to the size of the shadow zone as the diameter of the liquid core increases?
_____________________________________________________________________
8. Observe the paths taken by P and S waves through Earth. Sketch the layers on your
diagram and indicate if they are solid or liquid. Hint: Really look at the where the core is and
what happens in there.
9. Where are the cool and the hot regions of the mantle located?
_____________________________________________________________________
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10. What does this tomographic model indicate about the underlying structure?
_____________________________________________________________________
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Conclusion
1. Which Earth interior (#4, 5, 6, or 8) do you think was correct and why?
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2. How do scientist know what the interior of the Earth looks like?
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Part 3
Background: On Earth one needs a sensitive needle to detect magnetic forces, and out in space they
are usually much, much weaker. But beyond the dense atmosphere, such forces have a much bigger
role, and a region exists around the Earth where they dominate the environment, a region known as the
Earth’s magnetosphere. That region contains a mix of electrically charged particles, and electric and
magnetic phenomena rather than gravity determine its structure. We call it the Earth’s magnetosphere
The magnetosphere is an area around Earth that extends about 60,000 km from the surface. It is our
invisible force field against the continuous stream of charged particles from the sun.
Problem: How does Earth generate a magnetic field?
Directions: Go to the following website to answer the questions for Part 3.
http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Magnetosphere/earth_magnetic_field.html
1. What produces Earth’s magnetic field?
________________________________________________________________
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2. Scientists believe that the two ingredients needed to generate a magnetic field are
________________________________ and __________________________.
3. The magnetosphere protects Earth from the _______________________.
4. Some particles from the sun enter the magnetosphere and cause the
_____________________________________.
5. The magnetosphere can _____________ its orientation so that the north magnetic
pole becomes the south.
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