Layers of the Earth Flashcards
What is the uppermost layer of the earth called?
The crust
What is the name of the crust and upper layer of mantle?
Lithosphere
How deep is the mantle?
2900 km
What are tectonic plates?
The earth’s surface broken into large pieces
What is the state of the inner core?
Solid, with a temperature of 5700 degrees
What is the temperature of the outer core?
Around 4000 degrees
How deep is the continental crust and what is it made of?
10-50 miles of granite
What does continental crust form?
The land
How thick is oceanic crust and what is it made of?
1 - 3 miles of basalt
What is a plume?
A body of magma that rises from the earth’s mantle into the crust
What is the mantle made of?
Semi-molten rock called magma
What is the inner and outer core made of?
Iron and nickel
How thick is the inner core?
1250 km
How thick is the outer core?
2200 km
What does the asthenosphere cover?
The top part of the mantle just below the lithosphere
