LAYERS OF THE EARTH

basalt/ic

the oceanic crust is mainly composed of what type of igneous rock?

convection

the type of heat transfer in the asthenosphere

oceanic crust

thinner and denser (because it is richer in iron and magnesium) part of the crust

oceanic crust

thinnest part of the crust found at the bottom of the earth's oceans

highly viscous

this mechanical property of the asthenosphere of becoming - facilitates the movement of lithospheric plates

oceanic crust

this part of the crust is richer in iron and magnesium making it denser compared to the other one

approximately 12,800 km

total diameter of the earth

approximately 6,400 km

total radius of the earth

mantle, oceanic crust

what are the layers of the earth that are composed mostly of iron and magnesium?

Sulfur and oxygen

what element/s could be present in the outer core?

inner core

what layer of the earth is it densest?

asthenosphere

what the lithosphere plates are riding on top of

Convection

what type of heat transfer is going on in the asthenosphere, given the fact that it is not solid and still not considered as liquid ?

mafic

which is denser, felsic or mafic?

even though it has a really high temperature to melt the metals, the pressure is even higher that it cannot melt the rocks anymore, due to this pressure- the materials inside it are essentially jammed together

why are the materials (minerals and metals) in the mesosphere cannot be fluid anymore unlike in the asthenosphere?

because at the beginning of the earth's formation, when it is still in its molten state, the denser elements just kind of sunk to the bottom and lighter elements rose to the top - they had this kind of buoyancy because they're less dense than everything around it so it goes at the top

why does digging further the earth results into getting denser elements?

bc it has greater volume/size but less mass (stuff inside)

why is the continental crust thicker but less dense than the oceanic crust?

because of tis highly uneven thickness (5-70 km/ 10-20 miles deep)

why is the earth's crust distinctive?

because it has more mass - richer in iron and magnesium

why is the earth's oceanic crust thinner yet more dense compared to the continental crust?

The outer core is not under enough pressure to be solid, so it is liquid even though it has a composition similar to the inner core. Sulfur and oxygen could be present in the outer core.

why is the outer core liquid?

the temperatures are so high that even though the pressure is also strong at this point (direct variation: as we go further, the temperature and pressure also become higher - chemical/compositional concept) ** we are at pressures where this type of mesospheric rocks are rigid, but metals at these temperatures actually can be fluid/liquid

why the outer core of the earth is liquid?

densest

As you go deeper the layers of the earth, you get to the - part of the earth

mafic, felsic

These are both made up words used to indicate the chemical composition of silicate minerals, magmas, and igneous

crust

a layer of the earth that is distinctive because of its highly uneven thickness (5-70km/10-20 miles)

Felsic

adjective describing igneous rocks that are relatively rich in elements that form quartz and feldspar

mafic

adjective used to indicate the chemical composition of silicate minerals, magmas richer in iron and magnesium

mohorovicic discontinuity (moho)

boundary that separates crust from mantle - lithosphere

lithospheric plates

by the asthenosphere being the the highly viscous part underneath the lithosphere, it is able to facilitate the movement of

silicon (siliceous crust)

chemical composition of the earth's crust

oceanic crust

composed of dense (mafic) iron magnesium silicate rocks

crust

composed of different types of rocks mainly igneous, sedimentary, mesomorphic

outer core

composed of flowing currents of liquid iron, nickel, and trace quantities of lighter elements

upper mantle + crust

composition of the earth's lithosphere

mechanical properties

concerned mainly on phases of matter e.g solid, liquid, viscous, something in between in understanding the different layers of the earth

upper mantle

cool, rigid, solid part of the mantle/solid rock that when you add to the crust makes up the lithosphere

crust: 5-70km deep - oceanic crust: 5-10 km - continental crust: 10-70km mantle: 2,900 km - lithosphere: 10-200km - asthenosphere: 200-660km - mesosphere: 660-2,900km core: 2,900-6,400 - outer core: 2,900-5,100 (2,200 km) - inner core: 5,100-6,400 (1300 km)

depth of each layer of the earth

mantle

divided into 3- upper and lower, asthenosphere - lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere

upper mantle, asthenosphere, lower mantle/mesosphere

divisions of the mantle

crust

earth's outermost shell that is rigid/rocky layer

aluminum (silicate rocks)

element that mainly composes the continental crust

iron and magnesium (silicate rocks)

element that mainly composes the oceanic crust

asthenosphere

ends at around 660 km deep

12,756km

exact diameter of the earth

highly viscous asthenosphere

facilitates the movement of lithospheric plates

silicon and oxygen, aluminum, potassium

felsic has lower percentage of the heavier elements, and are correspondingly enriched in the lighter elements, such as

quartz and feldspar

felsic is an adjective used to describe igneous rocks that are relatively richer in elements that form

because it can still transmit the types of waves that liquids do not transmit

how can you say that the asthenosphere is not liquid given the fact that it is flowy fluid type, puddy/jelly like

things that are somewhat fluid, the molecules can slowly slide past each other - but if you can increase the pressure enough (higher pressure because it is deeper compared to the asthenosphere and is closer to the core) the molecules will be essentially jammed to each other

how come the materials in the asthenosphere are viscous while in the mesosphere, it is already solid and cannot be fluid anymore?

during the beginning of the earth's formation, when it was still on a kind of molten state, lighter elements in the surface of the earth rose to the top (they had this kind of buoyancy) - even the gases bubbled up forming the atmosphere

how did the atmosphere form?

10-70 km

how thick is the continental crust?

by observing speed differences of traveling seismic waves from earthquake

how was the moho/mohorovicic discontinuity discovered?

the temperature is becoming so high that the pressure will not be enough to jam these molecules together to become solid

if the mechanical property of a layer is fluid, it is because

the temperature also higher but the pressure is EVEN higher; not enough temp to melt minerals (rocks)

if the mechanical property of a layer is solid, it is because

pressure

in the mesosphere, the - is high that it becomes rigid again after being in a viscous state

mesosphere

in this layer of the mantle, the pressure is high that it becomes rigid again after being in a viscous state due to high pressure

Mantle

layer of semi-molten rock 2,890/2900 km deep composed mostly of materials rich in iron and magnesium

felsic

lower percentage of the heavier elements, and are correspondingly enriched in the lighter elements, such as silicon and oxygen, aluminum, and potassium

all materials in the mantle are made up of the same thing - there is just a difference in the pressure as well as its temperature (higher temp. and pressure as you go further the core)

main concept of the mechanical properties of the mantle

the entire core is made up of the same stuff, it is just that at the outer part of the core, the temperature is high enough to melt the metal but pressures aren't so high enough to make them solid ** the pressure is definitely high enough to make them rocky material solid but not the metals ** and then, you go even further - even tho the temps keep on going up, the pressure is so strong that even the metals are solid

main concept of the mechanical property of the core

crust - solid, rigid mantle (s-v-s) - highly viscous > lithosphere - solid > asthenosphere - highly viscous >mesosphere - solid outer core - liquid inner core - solid

mechanical properties of earth's layers

solid inner core liquid inner core essentially solid mesosphere spongy, viscous asthenosphere lithospheric plates can ride on top of asthenosphere actual rigid lithosphere made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust

mechanical properties of the layers of earth

mantle

mechanical property: viscous layer of semi-molten rock

continental crust

much thicker but less dense because it is greater in volume/size but less mass (stuff inside)

Mantle

much thicker than the crust (2,900km)

dense (mafic - richer in iron and magnesium) iron magnesium silicate rocks

oceanic crust is composed of

iron and magnesium

oceanic crust is richer in what elements?

continental crust

part of the crust that is 10-70 km thick

oceanic and continental

parts of the crust

lithosphere

rigid/solid upper mantle + crust

oceanic crust

rock underneath the ocean that holds the water

inner core

solid mass of iron laced with traces of nickel

Asthenosphere

starts right below the lithosphere

mantle (upper)

starts right below the oceanic crust

liquid outer core

surrounding the inner core

granite

the continental crust is mainly composed of what type of igneous rock?

aluminum

the continental crust is richer in what element?

iron and nickel

the core is composed mainly of what elemnts

denser elements, higher temperature + pressure

the deeper you get (in the layers of the earth), you are going to get

core

the densest layer of the earth mainly composed of elements iron and nickel

iron and nickel

the earth's core is mainly composed of dense elements:

igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic

the earth's crust is composed mostly of different types of rocks:

iron and nickel

the earth's inner core is a solid mass of what elements

outside (crust), center (inner core)

the less dense, lighter ones would be on what part of the earth's layer? the denser ones were at the -