Download Investigating Earth`s Interior

Name ________________________________________ Date __________________ Period ___________
Investigating Earth’s Interior
While at each station, complete the prompts below. Be sure to follow all directions
and to read carefully.
STATION 1 – Pie Slice
Using your pie slice of the Earth answer the questions that follow:
1. Which layer is the thinnest? _____Crust__________________________
2. Which layer is the thickest? _____Mantle_________________________
3. Which layer is the hottest?
_____Core__________________________
4. Which layers are solid?
____Crust, Mantle, Inner Core___________
5. Which layers are liquid?
____Outer Core_______________________
6. What do you notice about temperature as you move from the outer layers towards the center?
__Temperature increases as depth increases.________________________________________
7. Pressure increases as you travel from the crust to the center of the Earth. This is a result of the
weight of the rock above. Why would the temperature increase? __ Increasing temperature is a
result of increasing pressure, energy released form radioactive substance, and leftover heat form
Earth’s formation._______________________________________________________________
STATION 2 – Video Overview and a Focus on the Core
Watch the video clip “Why does the Earth have Layers?” (Found in the shared drive, under Nowak, in
Investigating Earth’s Interior Folder) and answer the questions that follow:
8. What causes the different layers inside the Earth? __Differing densities due to difference in
composition.____
9. What 2 events allow us to see what’s inside Earth? __volcanoes___earthquakes seismic waves___
10. Name the 3 chemical layers of the Earth, and name the 5 mechanical layers of the Earth. We will
work with names from both categories through this unit.
11. What is the symbol for iron? ___Fe____________
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12. Why is iron and nickel found at Earth’s center, while aluminum and silicon are found near Earth’s
surface? ____They are more dense and “heavier.” ______________________________________
13. Why is the inner core most likely solid? ___Due to the large amount of pressure that is exerted on
it.____________________________________
14. Why is the outer core most likely liquid? ____ It is very hot, but has less pressure than what the
inner core is experiencing. ___________________________________________
15. Why is the liquid outer metal core so important to our survival? _____It produces deep metallic
convection currents that help produce a magnetic field around the Earth.
___________________________________________________________________________
16. True or False
Overall, inner Earth is currently warming.
17. Complete the Venn diagram using the phrases below:
Solid metal, iron, dense ball, molten metal, nickel, liquid layer
Molten metal, liquid layer
iron
Nickel
solid, metal dense ball
STATION 3 – The Crust
Using prior knowledge, the specimens at the table, and the information found on page 13 of your textbook,
answer the questions that follow:
18. True or False.
The crust does not include the ocean floor.
19. Where is the crust the thickest? ___continents____________ Thinnest? _____ocean__________
20. Look at the rocks found at the station.
a. Which rock is most like the rock found beneath the ocean?
A
or
B
b. What is the name of the type of rock found beneath the ocean? __basalt_______________
c. Which rock is most like the rock that makes up continental crust? A
or
B
d. What is the name of the type of rock that makes up most continental crust? _granite_______
e. __Oxygen _____________ and __silcon________________ are the most commonly found
elements in the crust.
21. Label the continental and oceanic crust on the drawing.
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STATION 4 – The Mantle
The mantle can be broken down into several sections or parts. These parts include the lithosphere,
asthenosphere, and mesosphere. Do you know the difference between these parts? Turn to page 14 and
using the information found here, answer the questions that follow:
22. Label the drawing using the following terms (some of the terms will be used more than once):
mantle, lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere
23. Complete the chart.
Name
Lithosphere
Asthenosphere
Mesosphere
Features

Upper-most part

Part crust, part mantle

Strong, hard

About 100 km thick





Found under the lithosphere
Hotter and higher pressure
Is bendable and less ridged than the lithosphere
Softer than the lithosphere
Beneath asthenosphere

Hot and more ridged, higher pressure

Includes the lower mantle
STATION 5 – Working with Graphs
Numbers and graphs are always an important part of science. What can a graph tell you about Earth’s
interior? Turn to page 13. Complete Figure 3 “The Earth’s Crust.” Next, turn to page 15. Complete “Do
the Math! Analyzing Data” right in your book. Remember, you are looking for trends.
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Once you’re COMPLETELY done, check your answers. All answers can be found online on the class
website through the following pathway: “Units of Study”  “Unit 2 Earth’s Interior”  “Investigating Earth’s
Interior – Answers”
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