The Earth’s Layers

Standard S6E5 – Students will investigate the scientific view of how Earth’s surface is formed.

The Earth is divided into three layers.

Crust Thin, nearly solid rock layer that is uppermost in Earth’s structure. Thinnest layer Nearly solid rock. Crust is the thickness under the continents at 25 miles deep.

Crust The Earth's crust is like the skin of an apple. It is very thin in comparison to the other three layers.

Lithosphere Area where Earth’s crust and upper mantle combine to form a rigid shell. The lithosphere is where Earth is broken into “plates.”

Asthenosphere Area where the plates of the lithosphere float and move along the softer plastic-like part of the mantle

Mantle The mantle is the thickest layer of the Earth and makes up 85% of the total weight of the Earth’s mass. Rock material is partially melted

Upper & Lower Mantle The upper mantle made of the lithosphere and asthenosphere. Therefor it is more solid than the lower mantle The lower mantle is softer than the upper mantle. Although it is not completely liquid.

Upper & Lower Mantle The differences between the upper and lower mantle (density, elements, etc) are so small that scientist mostly refer to it as only the “mantle.”

Core The core of the Earth is much like a ball of very hot metals. The inner core is surrounded by a fluid iron outer core.

Outer & Inner Core Outer core is the only layer in liquid state Inner core is the hottest layer made up of iron & nickel, but the pressure keeps the metal from melting