Layers of the Earth Geosphere

The Earth as a System Integrated system of rock, air, water, and living things. This system is divided into four parts: atmosphere (air) hydrosphere (water) biosphere (living things) geosphere (rock)

Geosphere Solid part of the Earth’s crust that consists of all rock, and the soils and sediments on Earth’s surface. Most located in Earth’s interior

Earth’s Interior Seismic Waves: the waves that travel through the Earth’s interior during an earthquake. Altered by the type of material that it travels through.

Composition of the Earth Three layers: crust mantle core Density increases towards the center of the Earth

Crust Thin, outer layer. Made up of light elements less than 1% of Earth’s mass 5-70km thick

Mantle Layer beneath the crust 64% of mass of Earth 2,900 km thick Made of lithosphere asthenosphere mesosphere

Lithosphere Outer layer cool, rigid divided up into huge tectonic plates

Asthenosphere 250 km thick solid, plastic layer made of rock flows very slowly and allows tectonic plates to move across

Mesosphere 2,250 km thick “middle” sphere lower part of mantle

Core 3,248 km radius sphere of hot, dense nickel and iron 1/3 of the Earth’s mass Made of Outer Core Inner Core

Outer Core; 2,200 km thick, outer shell, made of liquid nickel and iron Inner Core: 1,228 km radius; a sphere of solid iron and nickel