Earth's Interior Flashcards
What are the characteristics of earth’s crust,mantle,and core?
- The crust-the layer of rock that forms earth’s outer surface
- The mantle-the layer of hot,solid material between earth’s crust and core
- The core-the inner skin of the planet
How have geologists learned about earth’s inner structure?
Geologists have used two main types of evidence to learn about earth’s interior:direct evidence from rock samples and indirect evidence from seismic waves.
Asthenosphere
The soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats
Basalt
A dark,dense,igneous rock with a fine texture,found in oceanic crust.
Inner core
A dense sphere of solid iron and nickel at the center of earth
Granite
A usually light-colored igneous rock that is found in continental crust.
Crust
The layer of rock that forms earth’s outer surface
Lithosphere
A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust
Outer core
A layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of earth
Radiation
The transfer of energy through space
Conduction
The transfer of heat within a material or between materials that are touching
Convection
The transfer of heat by movement of a fluid
Density
The amount of mass in a given space; mass per unit volume
Convection current
The movement of a fluid, caused by differences in temperature, that transfers heat from one part of the fluid to another
Mantle
The layer of hot,solid material between earth’s crust and core
