Earth’s structure and materials2

Earth’s Structure and Materials

The layer of solid rock that makes up the Earth’s outer layer including the continents and the ocean floor.

CRUST

A dark, fine-grained extrusive volcanic rock that makes up the oceanic crust.

Basalt

A light colored, coarse -grained volcanic rock that makes up a large part of the continental crust.

Granite

The layer of rock found below the crust that is separated into the lithosphere, asthenosphere, and mesosphere.

Mantle

The uppermost part of the mantle composed of brittle rock and the crust of the Earth.

Lithosphere

The less rigid part of the mantle directly underneath the lithosphere.

Asthenosphere

The lowest part of the mantle that is made up of semi-liquid rocks.

Mesosphere

Outer layer of the core made up of dense, liquid metal.

Outer Core

Center layer of the core made up of solid metal.

Inner Core

The crust that forms the continents which is made up of many different types of rocks but mostly granite.

Continental Crust

The crust that lies beneath the oceans which is made up of basalt.

Oceanic Crust

Heat from the core is transferred by convection into the mantle.

The heat causes convection currents in the mantle and core.

Convection currents have been moving inside Earth for more than 4 billion years.

Convection currents in the mantle cause the tectonic plates to move.

Convection currents in the core cause the Earth’s magnetic field.

Convection Currents in Earth