Download Inside the Earth

Name the layers of the Earth.
Chapter 15 – Section 1
Vocabulary
 Crust – the thin and
solid outermost layer of
the Earth above the
mantel.
 Mantle – the layer of
rock between the Earth’s
crust and core.
 Core – the central part of
the Earth below the
mantle.
 Lithosphere – the solid,
outer layer of the Earth
that consists of the crust
and the rigid upper part of
the mantle.
 Asthenosphere – the soft
layer of the mantle on
which the tectonic plates
move.
 Mesosphere – the strong,
lower part of the mantle
between the asthenosphere
and the outer core.
 Tectonic Plate – a block of lithosphere that consists
of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of the
mantle.
After coloring, cut out and glue your plate map into your science notebook (DOT DOT… not a lot)
In your science notebook, draw the following:
 Draw and color this
rectangle in your
notebook, slightly to
the right of the center
of the page.
 As we discuss each
layer of the Earth, you
can enter the
information about the
layer to the left of the
drawing.
CRUST
MANTLE
OUTER
CORE
INNER
CORE
The Crust
 5 – 100 km thick
 2 types
 Continental
 Oceanic
 Oceanic much denser
 Less than 1% of
Earth’s mass.
 Major Elements
 Oxygen
 Silicon
 Aluminum
The Mantle
 Most of the Earth’s mass
(67%).
 2,900 km thick.
 Major elements
 Oxygen
 Silicon
 Magnesium
 Liquid with a plastic
consistency.
Element
O
Si
Mg
Fe
Al
Ca
Na
K
Sum
Amount
44.8
21.5
22.8
5.8
2.2
2.3
0.3
0.03
99.7
The Core
 Inner and Outer core
 Outer – liquid
 Inner - solid
 33% of Earth’s mass.
 3,430 km thick
 Major Elements
 Iron
 Nickel
The Physical Structure of the Earth
Tectonic Plates
 Plates of the lithosphere move around on top of the
asthenosphere.
 Giant jigsaw puzzle pieces.
Tectonic Plates
 Not all same size.
 Contain continental, oceanic or both types
of crust.
Major Tectonic Plates
Pacific
North American
Cocos
Nazca
South American
African
Eurasian
Indian
Australian
Antarctic
Tennessee in the Past
Map view of the tectonic situation about 510 million years ago, in the
late Cambrian period of geologic time. "C&O" locates the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal's location on the map. Note the volcanic island arc
located offshore, in the Iapetus Ocean, moving closer to North America
as the intervening oceanic crust is subducted.
Map by Ron Blakey, Northern Arizona University.
The Taconian Orogeny, as viewed from above, about 450 million years
ago. The Chopawamsic Terrane has begun to collide with ancestral North
America, adding the volcanic rocks and sedimentary to the eastern margin
of the continent.
Map by Ron Blakey, Northern Arizona University.
Mapping the Earth’s Interior
 Answers come from earthquakes.
 Seismic waves pass through the Earth at different
speeds, depending on what they are made of.
 Faster through solids than liquids.
QUIZ
1. Name the layers of the Earth.
2. What are the tectonic plates
made of (which layer or layers)?
3. Name the two types of crust.
4. Which layer has the most mass?
5. The least?