2. 1. Identify the layers of
the Earth
2. Explain the
characteristics of each
layers.
3. Explain the importance
of studying the layers of
the Earth.
3. Directions for today’s activity:
• Use the templates to cut the layers of the Earth out of construction paper:
• Use: Green- biggest circle
Brown-
Yellow-
Red-Smallest circle
• Lay them one on top of the other like in this diagram:
4. Next. . .
• Fold all of the circles down the middle (where the dotted line is in the figure).
Then glue the bottom layers down to hold them in place.
• You have just made a slice of the Earth! Hold on to this until everyone is
finished and we’ll learn a little bit more about each part. You’ll be taking
notes on the upper half of the Earth.
Glue these layers down
8. The Crust
* The Earth’s crust is the
outermost surface.
*It is a very thin layer of solid
rock. It is the thinnest layer
of the Earth.
*The crust is 5-35km thick
beneath the land and 1-8km
thick beneath the oceans.
* The crust of the Earth is
broken into many pieces
called plates. The movement
of these plates causes
earthquakes.
9. The Crust
Continental Crust
- thick (10-70km)
- buoyant (less
dense than
oceanic crust)
- mostly old
Oceanic Crust
- thin (~7 km)
- dense (sinks
under continental
crust)
- young
The Earth’s crust
is made of:
10. The Lithosphere
• On your mantle layer, draw a
dotted line around the very
edge of the circle. This is
the lithosphere.
• The lithosphere is composed
of part of the crust and the
upper part of the mantle (the
top 100 km).
• It is composed of hard,
brittle rock
11. The Athenosphere
* The athenosphere is the
part of the mantle
underneath the
lithosphere. Draw a
dashed line about an inch
under your dotted line.
* It is made of molten rock
and metal so that it
“flows” like hot asphalt.
* The athenosphere is the
part of the mantle that
moves and causes the
tectonic plates of the
crust to move as well.
12.
13. The Mantle
* The mantle is the largest
layer of the Earth. It is
2900km thick.
*It includes the lithosphere and
athenosphere.
*It is relatively flexible—it
flows like very viscous liquid.
*It is very hot—1600°F at the
top and 4000°F towards the
center of the Earth.
14.
15. The Core
* The core of the Earth is
like a ball of very hot
metals. The core is divided
into 2 layers—Outer and
Inner.
* The core is SO hot and has
SO much pressure that if
you were to go there—you
would be squished into
something even smaller than
a marble.
16.
17. The Outer Core
* The outer core is liquid
metal iron and nickel
with 10% sulfur and/or
oxygen.
* It is very hot—
4000-9000°F.
* The outer core is
2,250km thick.
18.
19. The Inner Core
* The inner core is solid
metal due to the
extreme heat and
pressure.
* It is composed of iron
and nickel. It is
responsible for the
magnetic field the Earth
generates.
* The inner core is 800km
thick and is 9000°F.
20. Review
1) What are the four layers of the Earth?
2) The Earth’s crust is very ______?
3) The mantle is the largest layer of the
Earth? True or False
4) Is the Outer Core a liquid or a solid?
5) Why is there a need to study the Earth’s
layers?
Green for the crust
Light brown for the mantle
Yellow for the outer core
Red for the inner core
You have just made a slice of the Earth! Hold on to this until everyone is finished and we’ll learn a little bit more about each part. You’ll be taking notes on the upper half of the Earth.
The interior of the Earth is divided into layers based on chemical and physical properties.
The Earth has an outer silica-rich, solid crust, a highly viscous mantle, and a core comprising a liquid outer core that is much less viscous than the mantle, and a solid inner core.
The Earth has two different types of crust: Continental crust and Oceanic crust. Each has different properties and therefore behaves in different ways.
Continental crust:
Continental crust forms the land (the continents, as the name suggests) that we see today.
Continental crust averages about 35 km thick. Under some mountain chains, crustal thickness is approximately twice that thickness (about 70 km thick).
Continental crust is less dense and therefore more buoyant than oceanic crust
Continental crust contains some of the oldest rocks on Earth.
Oceanic crust:
As the name already suggests, this crust is below the oceans.
Compared to continental crust, Oceanic crust is thin (6-11 km).
It is more dense than continental crust and therefore when the two types of crust meet, oceanic crust will sink underneath continental crust.
The rocks of the oceanic crust are very young compared with most of the rocks of the continental crust. They are not older than 200 million years.
WHAT IS THE MOST ABUNDANT ELEMENT FOUND IN THE CRUST?