Download The Dynamic Earth - Model High School

The Dynamic Earth
Chapter 3, sec. 1
Earth as a System
1. Geosphere = soil, rock and layers of
inner Earth
2. Atmosphere = mixture of gases
3. Hydrosphere = water on or near the
Earth’s surface
4. Biosphere = where life exhists
The Geosphere
• Most is located in Earth’s interior
• Use seismic waves to learn about interior
-wave is altered by the material it
travels through
Geosphere
•
1.
2.
3.
3 chemical layers
Crust
Mantle
core
Geosphere
• Crust
– Thin outer layer
– Composed of light elements
– Less than 1% of mass
– Thinnest layer (5km – 8km)
Geosphere
• Mantle
– Beneath the crust
– 64% of Earth’s mass
– 2,900 km thick
– Made of rocks
Geosphere
• Core
– Innermost layer
– Densest elements
– Radius of 3,400km
– Makes up 1/3 of mass
Geosphere
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
5 physical layers
Lithosphere
Asthenosphere
Mesosphere
Outer Core
Inner Core
Geosphere
• Lithosphere
– Outer most layer
– Cool rigid layer
– 15km – 300km thick
– Includes crust and upper mantle
– Tectonics plates
Geosphere
• Asthenosphere
– Beneath lithosphere
– Plastic, solid layer of the mantle
– Made of rock the flows
– Allows movement of tectonic plates
Geosphere
• Mesosphere
– Beneath asthenosphere
– “middle” sphere
– Lower part of the mantle
Geosphere
• Outer Core
– Dense liquid layer
– Outer shell of the core
– Nickel and iron
Geosphere
• Inner Core
– Dense, solid
– Iron and nickel
– 4,000 °C to 5,000 °C
– Solid due to pressure