Unit 3 - Activity 3.1.1 - Peeling Back the Layers of the Earth . 1. Describe the
ID: 108686 • Letter: U
Question
Unit 3 - Activity 3.1.1 - Peeling Back the Layers of the Earth
. 1. Describe the crust: Include the thickness (depth), what it is made of, whether it is solid or liquid, and one fact about it.
3. Describe the inner core: Include the thickness (depth), what it is made of, whether it is solid or liquid, and one fact about it.
4. Describe the outer core: Include the thickness (depth), what it is made of, whether it is solid or liquid, and one fact about it
5. What name did Wegener give to his supercontinent?
6. Describe the mantle: Include the thickness (depth), what it is made of, whether it is solid or liquid, and one fact about it.
Explanation / Answer
Crust: Average thickness: 35 km (5-10 km oceanic crust; 55-77 km continental crust)
composition: made up of silicate minerals classified into two Sial and Sima
Sial: or else called as upper continental crust, which is made up of rocks like granitic and grano-dioritics. oceanic crust is basaltic in nature which are poorer in potassium and richer in aluminum as compared to continental
Sima: also called as lower continental crust, denser than sial ,with minerals like magnesium and silica.
It is solid and until moho discontinuity, followed by a thin plastic layer composed of portions inner crust and upper mantle called as asthenosphere.
Fact: Crust floats on asthenosphere, and it is constantly moving, driven by convection currents from core mantle interface.
Mantle: thickness: 2900km
Composition: olivine pyroxene complex associated with silicates and small concentrations of iron, rocks are ultra-mafic. and below asthenosphere, ie, after a small portion of upper mantle, it is in solid state.
Fact: Though mantle is a solid, it is constantly moving vertically from core to crust, which transfers heat from core to crust called as convection current.
,
Core:
Outer core: 2900km to 5150 km. A homogeneous fluid where s waves are blocked.
Composed of iron (80%), along with nickel and one or more light elements.
Inner core: 5,150 to 6,276 km, is made up of solid alloy of Fe and Ni, despite its high temperature, metals are in solid state due to pressure exerted layers above it.
Fact: Inner core rotates faster than earth's rotation by 2/3rd of a second.
## PLEASE HIT LIKE##
Related Questions
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.