Earth's Interior

How does the lithosphere and asthenosphere relate to the crust and mantle?

The crust and the upper layer of the mantle make the lithosphere. The astenosphere is the top part of the mantle.

How thick are each of the layers?

The oceanic crust is about 8 kilometers thick. The continental crust is about 25-70 kilometers thick. The mantle is about 1,800 miles thick. The outer core is abut 2,260 kilometers thick. The inner core is about 800 miles thick.

What are the subdivisions of the four main layers?

The oceanic crust, continental crust, upper mantle, and lower mantle

What are the three discontinuities?

Mohorovicic discontinuity, Gutenberg discontinuity, and Lehmann discontinuity

What is the Gutenberg discontinuity?

Situated in Earth at a depth of about 2,900 kilometers below the surface, where there is a sudden change in the seismic waves. The Gutenberg Discontinuity is the "boundary" between the outer core and the mantle, or to be specific, the lower mantle.

What is the Lehmann discontinuity?

The Lehmann Discontinuity is a sudden increase in P-wave and S-wave velocities at the depth of 220-250 kilometers under the Earth. The Lehmann Discontinuity is the "boundary" that separates the solid inner core of the Earth, to the liquid outer core of the Earth.

What are the physical states of each layer?

The Mantle is a solid/plastic layer. The crust is solid. The outer core is liquid. The inner core is solid.

What is happening in the layer that affects us on Earth's surface?

The Mantle is much hotter than the crust, and it has the ability to flow. Because of the ability to flow, the plates on the crust of the earth can move around. Ultimately, the mantle is a big reason for earthquakes, tsunamis, and other seismic events.

What are the compositional and density differences of the oceanic and continental crust?

The Oceanic Crust is much, much thinner than the Continental Crust. The Oceanic Crust is made of basalt while the Continental Crust is made of granite. The basalt in the Oceanic Crust is significantly heavier and denser then the granite in the Continental Crust.

What is the asthenosphere?

The asthenosphere (a:without; stheno:strength) is the weak and easily deformed layer of the Earth that acts as a "lubricant" for the tectonic plates to slide over.

What are each of the layers made of?

The crust of Earth is made up of very light materials. For example, basalts and granites. The mantle is composed of very hot, dense rock, although denser materials exist at Earth's core. The outer core of the Earth is a fully liquid layer composed of iron and nickel, or an iron-nickel alloy. The inner core is also made of a nickel-iron alloy but is solid.

What is the average temperature of each layer?

The crust's average temperature is 392°-752° Fahrenheit. The top of the mantle is 1,600° Fahrenheit. The bottom of the mantle is 4,000° Fahrenheit. The temperatures of the outer core range to around 7,280°-10,340° Fahrenheit. The temperatures of the inner core may reach around 9,000° Fahrenheit.

What are the four main layers of the Earth?

The crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core

What is the Mohorovičić discontinuity?

The discontinuity that defines the boundary between Earth's crust and the mantle. Separates both the continental and oceanic crust from the mantle beneath them. The Moho is situated entirely in the lithosphere, only beneath mid-ocean ridges does it define the lithosphere.

What is the lithosphere?

The lithosphere (litho:rock; sphere:layer) is the strong, upper 100 km of the Earth. It is also the tectonic plate we talk about with plate tectonics.

How do we know these things about the interior of the Earth?

The main way is with seismic waves.