Earth's Interior

Question 1

What are the 2 main types of evidence that geologists use to learn about Earth’s interior?

Answer 1

Direct evidence from rock samples
Indirect evidence from seismic waves
*(rock samples and seismic waves)

Question 2

Direct evidence from rock samples

Answer 2

Rocks drilled from deep inside Earth; allows geologist to make inferences about conditions

Question 3

Indirect evidence from seismic waves

Answer 3

Seismic waves produced by earthquakes allow scientists to measure the speed in which they travel giving clues to the structure of the planet

Question 4

What are the 3 main layers of Earth that vary greatly in size, composition, temperature, and pressure

Answer 4

The crust
The mantle
The core

Question 5

The crust

Answer 5

• layer of solid rock that forms Earth’s outer “skin”
• includes both dry land (continental crust) and ocean floor (oceanic crust)
• rocky outermost layer of earth
• least dense layer of the geosphere
• continental crust is about 4 times thicker than the oceanic crust

Question 6

Oceanic crust

Answer 6

Consists mostly of basalt

Question 7

Continental crust

Answer 7

Consists mainly of granite

Question 8

The mantle

Answer 8

Middle layer of the earth
Layer of solid, hot rock 40 kilometers beneath the surface divided into layers:
- lithosphere
- asthenosphere 
- lower mantle

Question 9

Lithosphere

Answer 9

• Earth’s crust & mantle
• broken into giant plates
• plates rest on somewhat fluid part of mantle called “asthenosphere”
  Uppermost part of the mantle and the crust for a ridge layer about 100 kilometers thick

Question 10

Asthenosphere

Answer 10

• lies below lithosphere
• upper part of mantle
• begins at 75 miles –> 125 miles
• partially molten rock
• ‘asthenes’ in Greek means “weak”
• can be pushed and formed like silly puddy
  Softer part of mantle which is hotter and under increased pressure

Question 11

Lower mantle

Answer 11

Solid material extending all the way to Earth’s core

Question 12

The core

Answer 12

• made mostly of the metals iron and nickel
• consists of two parts:
  ~ outer core
  ~ inner core
• extremely drguhihtfyguhihigutfy
  movement of liquid outer core creates Earth’s magnetic field

Question 13

Outer core

Answer 13

Layer of molten metal that surrounds inner core

Question 14

Inner core

Answer 14

Dense ball of solid metal

Question 15

“Pan”=

Answer 15

All

Question 16

Gaua=

Answer 16

Land (Pangaea = all land)

Question 17

Thalassa=

Answer 17

Ocean (Panthalassa = all ocean)

Question 18

Viscous

Answer 18

Thick and sticky liquid

Question 19

Volume

Answer 19

The space an object occupies

Question 20

Sea floor

Answer 20

Bottom of the ocean

Question 21

Discontinuities

Answer 21

Area between earth’s interior layers

Question 22

2 discontinuities

Answer 22

Mohorivicic and Gutenberg

Question 23

Mohorivicic

Answer 23

Between crust & mantle

Question 24

Gutenberg

Answer 24

Between mantle & core

Question 25

Name the layers of the earth

Answer 25

Crust
Upper mantle 
Lower mantle 
Outer core
Inner core