The Earths Layers
By Milan Hague C2
The Core
Inner Core- The Inner core is the very center of the Earth. It is not exposed to air at all. It is about 5,700 C, the hottest layer of Earth. To get to the center, you have to go 6378 kilometers. The thickness is 1216 kilometers. The Inner Core is Solid due to all the pressure from the other layers of Earth.
Outer Core- The Outer core is not as hot as the Inner Core. It is 3,700 C. The Outer Core is 2,266 kilometers thick. to get to the Outer Core, you have to go 5,150 Kilometers. It is liquid, because it doesn't have a lot of pressure.
The Whole Core- The Core makes up 33% of Earths mass. It is made up of Iron and sulfur.
The Mantle
The Mantle- The Mantle is 2,867 kilometers thick. You have to go 5-70 kilometers to get to the Mantle. The temperature is over 1,000 C. The Mantle is a solid state of mass, but it flows.
Asthenosphere- The Asthenosphere is in the middle of the Mantle. The Asthenosphere is the main place for convection currents.
Lithosphere-The Lithosphere is the upper most part of the Mantle. It is what is in between the crust and Mantle.
The Crust
The Crust- The crust is 1% of Earth's mass. In between the crust and Mantle, it can get up to 400 C. To get to the crust, you just have to dig a tiny hole, and touch the dirt in that hole. The Crust is 5-70 kilometers thick, depending on where you are.
The Continental Crust-The Continental crust is the thicker part of the crust. It is right under our feet (well, almost). If you go to the top of Mt. Everest, you would be at the highest point of earth, and the thickest part of the Continental Crust
The Oceanic Crust- The Oceanic Crust is under the ocean. It is the thin layer of the crust right underneath the Ocean floor. If you were to go to the deepest water area in Earth, the you would be on the thinnest part of the Oceanic Crust.
Convection in the Mantle
Questions
1) How does the ocean floor move, but we can't feel it move, or sense, it move?
2) How does heat get less dense, but cool air, get denser?
3) How often do earthquakes happen when the Tectonic Plates overlap each other completely?
Citations
1) Marianne Hogan. "The Earths Inside" Colorado. 10-16-14 http://www.colorado.edu/physics/phys2900/homepages/Marianne.Hogan/inside.html
2)"Earth's Structure" Annenburg Learner. 10-20-14
http://www.learners.org/interctives/dynamicearth/structure.html