Structure of the Earth Flashcards
What is the outer and inner core made from and its structure?
Its made from Nickel and Iron the inner core is solid and the outer core is liquid.
Why do different layers of the earth exist?
Because of different densities
Where did the heavy elements that make up our Earth come from?
Dying stars following nuclear confusion.
Why is the inner core solid?
Pressure
What elements make up the outer layers?
Al and Si
How do scientists know about about the state of the core?
Seismic shadows from earthquakes
Why does the Earth have an atmosphere?
The magnetic field shields protect the earth from solar winds
Crust?
The Earths outermost and thinnest layer, hard and rigid and only a few miles thick under the oceans and averaging 20miles thick under continents.
Mantle?
A dense layer subdivided into upper and lower regions made of hot semisolid rock located directly below the crust and about 1800 Miles thick.
Lithosphere?
Made up of crust and a tiny bit of the upper mantle, this layer is divided up into constantly moving plates of solid rock that hold the continents and oceans.
Asthenosphere?
Hot, malleable semiliquid in the upper mantle on which the plates of the lithosphere float.
Outer Core?
The only liquid layer of the Earth , this is mostly made up of Iron and Nickel. It is located 2000miles below the surface.
Inner Core?
The innermost layer, extremely hot and solid, composed of mostly Iron and Nickel.
