Earth's Structure

Question 1

Which of Earth’s layers is #1 and what is it made of?

Answer 1

Crust, upper “icing layer” of light rock

Question 2

Which of Earth’s layers is #2 and what is it made of?

Answer 2

Mantle, made of heavy dry rock, softened by the core’s heat. (solid rock but hot and squishy)

Question 3

Which of Earth’s layers is #3 and what is it made of?

Answer 3

Liquid Outer Core, still molten and moving around.

Question 4

Which of Earth’s layers is #4 and what is it made of?

Answer 4

Solid Inner Core, condensed by very high pressure

Question 5

Solid rock, slowly conducting heat

Answer 5

Lower Mantle

Question 6

Squishy rock, slowly convecting heat

Answer 6

Upper Mantle

Question 7

Earthquake waves tell us the core is made of ____ (___ and ___)

Answer 7

Metal (iron and nickel)

Question 8

Where is Earth’s heat stored?

Answer 8

Core

Question 9

How does the mantle move?

Answer 9

It circulates like boiling water but much slower. This carries heat from the core to the surface.

Question 10

Earth’s strong outer rock shell (includes crust)

Answer 10

Lithosphere

Question 11

Weak molten layer of rock beneath the lithosphere (Earths lubricating layer)

Answer 11

Asthenosphere

Question 12

Since the Earths surface is broken into curved pieces, these _____ float around on the slippery asthenosphere

Answer 12

Plates

Question 13

Why do lithospheric plates move?

Answer 13

To release heat

Question 14

What is the earth’s main cooling mechanism?

Answer 14

Plate motion opens cracks (mostly in the ocean) for the molten mantle to erupt through

Question 15

Oceans + Continents = ?

Answer 15

Plates

Question 16

What’s the difference between the OCEANIC and CONTINENTAL lithosphere

Answer 16

Oceanic is thin and Continental is thick

Question 17

Most plates contain a mix of ____ and ____

Answer 17

Oceanic and Continental lithosphere

Question 18

What happens to the lithosphere on the ocean’s floor as the Earth moves?

Answer 18

New Ocean floor forms at the cracks. It spreads apart as it cools off, then gets dragged back into the mantle to melt

Question 19

What happens to the lithosphere of continents as the Earth moves?

Answer 19

Continents can get pushed around by moving ocean plates, but they never get dragged back down in the mantle.