What’s Inside ?

What’s Inside?

The Earth’s Core – Almost as hot as the surface of the sun (due to radioactive decay) Escape of this inner heat drives geological activity on the planet.

• Inner Core

• Under immense pressure

• Solid metal mostly iron and nickel

• Very high density 13.5 g/ml • Outer Core

• 2270 km thick

• Liquid metal

• Responsible for Earth’s magnetic field

The Mantle• Lower mantle

• Rocky layer

• Most of earth’s volume

• Upper Mantle

• Hot weak rock that is easily deformed

• 10% is molten

• Consists of the asthenosphere, lithosphere and crust

Asthenosphere: Capable of flow

Lithosphere: rigid solid plates

Oceanic Crust: 5-12 km thick, mostly basalt

Continental Crust: 35 km thick, mostly granite,

Oceanic crust is more dense than continental

Temperature on the surface of the sun ~ 5700˚C

How do we know about the earth’s inner structure?

• Drilling only explores into the top 10-15 km of the crust

• Seismic waves can probe 6400 km though

Examine the paths of earthquake data (the epicenter marks the location of an earthquake)

• State 3 things that you can tell by this diagram

Try to label:Convergent boundaryDivergent boundary(potential) Hawaii

PLATE BOUNDARIES1. Convergent Boundary

• Ocean – Continent• Ocean – Ocean• Continent – Continent

Continent – Continent convergence

Ocean – Continent Convergence

PLATE BOUNDARIES1. Convergent Boundary

• Ocean – Continent• Ocean – Ocean• Continent – Continent

Continent – Continent convergence

Ocean – Continent Convergence List examples of locations for each

2. Divergent Boundary

3. Transform Boundary

Where type of boundary is pictured?