Science Earth Interior 02/03/18

What two layers are part of the lithosphere?

1) Crust 2) uppermost mantle

Name two ways that scientists can learn what's below Earth's surface?

1) Mines 2) Wells

Describe three similarities between oceanic crust and continental crust

1) both are brittle 2) both are rocky 3) there is a distinct boundary between both types of crust and the layer below (uppermost mantle)

Describe three differences between oceanic crust and continental crust?

1) oceanic crust is under oceans while continental crust is on land 2) Oceanic crust is more dense 3) Oceanic crust is thinner (four times less thick)

How deep is the deepest well?

12 kilometers. It took 20 years to drill this well.

When did Mt St Helens erupt?

1980

How deep is the deepest mine?

3 kilometers

What is the estimated temperature at the center of the Earth

6,000 degrees Celsius

How deep is the center of the earth?

6,000 kilometers

What is a geyser?

A location on earth's surface where water heated by the mantle burst through the crust

Definition: Asthenosphere

A plastic layer in the upper mantel where rocks flow slowly

Definition: Lithosphere

A rigid layer made up of the crust and the uppermost mantle

What is a seismograph?

A scientific instrument for detecting and measuring earthquakes

What are characteristics of "continental crust"

Continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust. Continental crust is four times thicker than oceanic crust.

What are earth's three main layers?

Core , Mantle, crust

What does the magnetosphere protect the earth from?

Cosmic raised and charged particles from space

What layer of the earth are scientists exploring with mines and wells?

Crust

Which layer is least dense?

Crust

What can give scientists hints about Earth's interior?

Deep mines and wells. A person can go down into the deepest mine (a gold mine). Well is only a narrow hole. Instruments can be sent down a well.

How deep can scientists go using mines and wells?

Deepest mine is 3 kilometers. Deepest well is 12 kilometers.

How does density change with greater depth inside the Earth/

Density increases

What causes layers within the earth?

Differences in density of materials cause layers to form. The less dense materials are nearer the surface and the more dense materials are in the center of the earth.

What is continental crust?

Earth crust on land.

What else (other than mines and wells) do scientists use to learn about Earth's interior?

Earthquake waves

How many types of waves do earthquakes create?

Earthquakes create three types of waves

How many layers does the mantle have?

Four. Scientists group the mantle into four layers based on how the rocks in the layer respond to forces pushing and pulling them.

What are tectonic plates?

Huge pieces of the earth's crust (continent size) that move on top of the uppermost mantel -- because the uppermost mantle is plastic (partially melted) rock that can flow and flex.

What type of methods do scientists use to discover what earth's interior is like?

Indirect methods. Scientists can't actually see into the center of the earth -- they have to learn about it using indirect methods.

How do scientists know that the outer core is liquid?

Information from studying earthquake waves and the existence of the earth's magnetic field (created by flows of iron in the outer core) indicate the outer core is liquid

Which layer is metallic?

Inner core

Which layer is the most dense?

Inner core

What is the earth's core made of?

Iron with some Nickel

Is the outer core solid or liquid?

Liquid

Which layer is thickest?

Mantle

Which layer of earth is thickest?

Mantle

Is the earth's core rock or metal?

Metal

What is the outer core made of?

Metal. Mostly iron. The metal is melted into a liquid form by high temperature.

What is the core made of?

Mostly iron with small amounts of nickel.

How thick is the crust?

Oceanic crust is 6 to 7 kilometers thick; Continental crust is about 35 to 40 kilometers thick

What are characteristics of "oceanic crust"

Oceanic crust is more dense than continental crust with more iron and magnesium. Oceanic crust is thinner than continental crust.

What percentage of the distance to the center of the earth is the deepest well?

Only 1%

What is the only liquid layer of the earth?

Outer core

What does "plastic" mean when describing the rocks of the asthenosphere?

Plastic means the rocks are partially melted and thus can flow and flex. The rocks are plastic because of very high temperatures.

What increases as you go deeper into the earth?

Pressure and temperature increase with depth

How does pressure change with greater depth inside the earth?

Pressure increases

What is the earth's mantle made of?

Rock

What is crust made of?

Rock. Crust is least dense layer of earth with a lot of elements such as oxygen and silicon.

What can scientists learn by tracking these earthquake waves?

Scientists infer (learn) the density and composition of materials within the Earth based on how earthquake waves move through or bounce off different areas inside the earth.

What are two common elements of the crust?

Silicon and oxygen

What are both the crust and mantle made of?

Solid rocks.

How does temperature changes with greater depth inside the earth?

Temperature increases

What happens to these waves as they travel through the earth?

The are affected by different materials. Some waves can't travel through certain materials. Other waves change direction when they reach certain materials.

What is the magnetosphere?

The area of space around the earth controlled by the earth's magnetic field

How are the lithosphere and the asthenosphere different?

The asthenosphere is below the lithosphere . The asthenosphere is much hotter and thus the rocks of the asthenosphere are "plastic" meaning they are partially melted and can flow and flex. The rocks of the lithosphere are solid and brittle -- not "plastic".

What is the asthenosphere?

The asthenosphere is the layer of the mantle below the lithosphere. Rocks in the asthenosphere are melted and "plastic" -- meaning the rock slowly flows

What is the crust of the earth?

The brittle, rocky outer layer of Earth is called the "crust".

What layer of the earth is made of metal?

The core

What is the core?

The core is the dense metallic center of the earth.

What is the least dense layer of the earth?

The crust

Which layer is the lowest temperature?

The crust

What is the difference between the crust and the lithosphere?

The crust is lighter and less dense.

What is the difference between the crust and the lithosphere?

The crust is only the thinnest outermost layer of the earth that is less dense than the uppermost mantle; the lithosphere includes both the crust and the more dense solid rock uppermost mantle.

What is "oceanic crust"

The crust under oceans

Name two things scientists learn using earthquake waves?

The density and composition of material inside the earth.

What does the earth's magnetic field do?

The earth's magnetic field protects earth from cosmic rays and charged particles coming from the sun. The magnetic field pushes these rays and particles away from earth and traps others -- like a magnet pushes away or traps pieces of metal.

What happens when earthquake waves reach the layer below the crust?

The earthquake waves speed-up

What is the inner core?

The inner core is a dense ball of solid iron crystals. The inner core spins inside the liquid outer core. The inner core spins slightly faster than the earth.

What is the other core?

The liquid outer layer of the earth's core. The rock above the outer core is solid due to pressure -- but the outer core is metal and the high temperature that deep in the earth makes it liquid -- despite the pressure

Definition: Outer Core

The liquid, dense metallic (iron and nickel) layer of earth around the inner core

What is the lithosphere?

The lithosphere is the crust and the uppermost mantle together. Both the crust and the uppermost mantel are made from rigid and brittle rocks.

What are the characteristics of the mantle?

The mantle is denser than the crust -- with even more iron and magnesium than is in oceanic crust.

What is the "mantle"?

The mantle is the thick middle layer in the solid part of the earth. The mantle is below the crust.

What is indicated by earthquake waves speeding-up?

The material the waves have reached is more dense

What is Pangea?

The name of the supercontinent that existed millions of years ago when all the earth's tectonic plates were connected together

Which of the earth's layers is made of melted material?

The outer core

What is the magnetosphere?

The outer part of the earth's magnetic field that interacts with cosmic rays and particles.

What are the characteristics of the upper mantle and lower mantle?

The rock of the upper and lower mantle is hotter than the asthenosphere but solid because of the immense pressure on the rocks from the weight of the layers above.

Definition: Inner Core

The solid dense metal (iron and nicker) center of the earth

What creates the earth's magnetic field?

The spinning inner core of the earth produce flows of molten iron in the outer core. These flows create a magnetic field.

What creates the earth's magnetic field?

The spinning of the solid metal (iron) core of the earth causes flows of liquid iron in the outer core of the earth that generate electric currents and thus the earth's magnetic field

What is the largest layer of the earth?

The upper and lower mantel.

What is the upper mantle and the lower mantle

The upper mantle and the lower mantle are the layers below the asthenosphere.

Why is the inner core solid metal?

The very high pressure causes the inner core to be solid. Even though it is very hot -- the higher pressure causes the iron and nickel metal in the inner core to be solid -- not liquid.

Why does pressure increase with greater depth?

The weight of the overlying rocks

What do earthquake waves have in common with other waves?

They bend when they pass through different materials

Where is the earth's crust thickest?

Under mountains

Where is continental crust thickest?

Under tall mountains

Which layer is plastic?

Upper mantle

What causes increased pressure as you go deeper into the earth?

Weight of the overlying rocks

Why is the core made of metal?

When the earth was forming it started as a hot liquid -- the densest materials were pulled to the center by gravity -- metals such as iron and nickel are the most dense so they moved to the core of the forming earth

How can you model Earth's layers?

With a hard-boiled egg. The shell is the crust, the white is the mantle and the yolk is the core.

Does the earth's magnetic field vary?

Yes -- the earth's magnetic field varies in strength and direction over thousands of years

Can scientists use earthquake waves to tell if something is a solid or a liquid?

Yes, scientists can tell if a material is solid or liquid from earthquake wave patterns

What is the most often used indirect method for studying the interior of the earth?

earthquake waves