Plate Tectonics 4.1 Flashcards
(17 cards)
Crust
The thin and solid outermost layer of the earth outside the mantle
2 ways scientists look at layers of earth
Composition and texture
2 types of crust
Oceanic and continental
Oceanic crust
Made out of oxygen, silicon, and aluminum like continental but it denser because it has twice as much iron, magnesium, and calcium.
Continental crust
Made of the elements silicon, oxygen, and aluminum but is less dense then oceanic
Mantle
The layer of rock between the earths crust and core and is much thicker then the crust and contains most of the earths mass.
Core
The central part of the earth below the mantle
5 physical layers
Lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere, outer core, and inner core.
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 (plastic later) of the mantle on which the tectonic plates move. It flows slowly and is very hot but not hot enough to melt.
Mesosphere
The strong, lower part of the mantle between asthenosphere and the outer core
Outer core
The liquid layer of the earths core that lies beneath the mantle and surrounds the inner core
Inner core
The solid, dense center of our planet that extends from the bottom of the outer core to the center of the earth.
Tectonic plates
A block of lithosphere that consists of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of be mantle.
How many major tectonic plates are there?
10
Seismic waves
Vibrations caused from an earthquake that travel at different speeds through earth. Their speeds depend on what they pass through.
Seismograph
Machines that measure seismic waves when an earthquake occurs. This helps seismologists calculate the density and thickness of the physical layers of earth.
