Download The Earth`s Layers

The Earth’s Layers
Standard
• S6E5 – Students will
investigate the scientific
view of how Earth’s
surface is formed.
The Earth is divided into three
layers.
Crust
• Thin, nearly solid rock
layer that is uppermost
in Earth’s structure.
• Thinnest layer
• Nearly solid rock.
• Crust is the thickness
under the continents at
25 miles deep.
Crust
• The Earth's crust is like the
skin of an apple. It is very thin
in comparison to the other
three layers.
Lithosphere
• Area where Earth’s
crust and upper
mantle combine to
form a rigid shell.
• The lithosphere is
where Earth is
broken into “plates.”
Asthenosphere
• Area where the plates of
the lithosphere float and
move along the softer
plastic-like part of the
mantle
Mantle
• The mantle is the thickest layer of
the Earth and makes up 85% of the
total weight of the Earth’s mass.
• Rock material is partially melted
Upper & Lower
Mantle
• The upper mantle made of the
lithosphere and asthenosphere.
Therefor it is more solid than the
lower mantle
• The lower mantle is softer than the
upper mantle. Although it is not
completely liquid.
Upper & Lower
Mantle
• The differences between the upper
and lower mantle (density,
elements, etc) are so small that
scientist mostly refer to it as only
the “mantle.”
Core
• The core of the Earth is
much like a ball of very
hot metals. The inner core
is surrounded by a fluid
iron outer core.
Outer & Inner Core
• Outer core is the only layer in
liquid state
• Inner core is the hottest layer
made up of iron & nickel, but
the pressure keeps the metal
from melting