Earth's Layers

Both types of crust ___ in the mantle.

"float"

2 types of crust

1. Oceanic 2. Continental

The lithosphere "floats" on the ___.

Asthenosphere

Why is it important that crust floats?

It leads to Plate Tectonics: Moving continents, seafloor spreading, volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, trenches, mountain ranges, island arcs, etc.

The ___ is the part of the mantle that makes up tectonic plates.

Lithosphere

The two parts of the upper mantle are the ___ and ___.

Lithosphere and Asthenosphere

The mantle from crust to core is ___, ___, and ____.

Lithosphere, Asthenosphere, Mesosphere

The ___ is also called the lower mantle.

Mesosphere

Upper mantle

Outermost layer of the two mantle layers; includes the asthenosphere and lower lithosphere; composed of solid rock, most of which flows due to convection currents within the mantle.

Lower mantle

Solid, consists of iron, magnesium, and silicon; higher density than upper mantle.

Crust

The cool, thin, solid, and rigid outermost layer of the Earth above the mantle. 1% of Earth's volume.

Outer core

The layer of the Earth's interior located between the inner core and mantle, composed of iron and nickel in a liquid state and generates Earth's magnetic field.

Mantle

The layer of the earth between the crust and the core; thickest layer of the Earth, part liquid part solid where convection currents are found.

Oceanic crust

The portion of earth's crust that primarily contains basalt and is relatively dense (2.9 g/cm³).

Continental crust

The portion of the earth's crust that primarily contains granite and is less dense than oceanic crust (2.7 g/cm³).

Lithosphere

The solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and upper mantle. Makes up tectonic plates. Thicker in continental regions. 100-200 km.

Inner core

The solid, inner most layer of the Earth, composed of iron and nickel under extremely high pressure and temperature.

Asthenosphere

The solid, plastic layer of the mantle beneath the lithosphere; made of mantle rock that flows very slowly, which allows tectonic plates to move on top of it.

Mesosphere

The strong, lower part of the mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core.

Continental crust is ___ and ___ dense than oceanic crust.

thicker/less

Oceanic crust is ___ and ___ dense than continental crust.

thinner/more