Layers of the Earth

Composition of the Earth’s Layers *layers are separated by density with the most dense being at the center The CRUST is solid and brittle; it is made of rock The MANTLE has two special layers and is made of Fe, Si, & Mg; it is both solid & liquid The OUTER CORE is made of liquid Ni & Fe The earth’s crust is composed of minerals. This is where we live and where the oceans and mountains are. Underneath the soil and water, is rock. Under the crust, is the mantle of the earth which is made of thick material. The mantle is made of hot, part melted, part solid rock. It is composed of iron and magnesium. This hot melted rock is so deep that we usually do not worry about it, however, sometimes it forces its way through the mantle to the surface of the earth as lava form a volcano. The outer core is composed of liquid nickel and iron, two metals that sank slowly through the mantle to collect at the center of the earth. The inner core is made of solid nickel and iron. Although it is hot enough to be a liquid, the pressure at the center of the earth squeezes metals into a solid. The INNER CORE is made of solid Ni & Fe and is magnetic Composition of the Earth’s Layers

Special Layers of Mantle crust 1. LITHOSPHERE: Contains crust and uppermost part of mantle lithosphere asthesnosphere lower mantle 2. ASTHENOSPHERE: Solid but very hot Rocks are ductile & act like silly putty Carries the lithosphere (tectonic plates) on its ‘back’ mantle

Outer core (liquid Iron) Inner core (solid Iron) The Core (two parts) The core of the Earth is VERY HOT Inner core is solid because of extreme pressure Inner core is the size of the moon and rotates faster than the rest of the earth generating our magnetic field Outer core (liquid Iron) Inner core (solid Iron)