layers of the Earth

Question 1

What are the four layers of the Earth?

Answer 1

The crust, the mantle, the outer core and the inner core.

Question 2

Is the outer core liquid or solid?

Answer 2

liquid

Question 3

Is the inner core liquid or solid? Why?

Answer 3

It is solid. The inner core is solid even though it is very hot because of all of the weight and pressure that the rest of the Earth pushes onto it.

Question 4

Why do we say that the Earth’s mantle is like a peanut butter sandwich?

Answer 4

The mantle has three layers (like a peanut butter sandwich) a solid layer, a liquid layer and then another solid layer.

Question 5

What did Alfred Wegener come up with?

Answer 5

He came up with the theory of Continental Drift.

Question 6

Which layer of the Earth is the thinnest?

Answer 6

The crust

Question 7

What is magma?

Answer 7

Melted rock and metal found under the Earth’s crust.

Question 8

What is a fault?

Answer 8

A fault is a crack in the Earth’s crust where two tectonic plates meet. One example is the San Andreas Fault

Question 9

What is a theory?

Answer 9

A theory is an idea that has not been proven.

Question 10

What is Pangaea?

Answer 10

Pangaea was the name that Wegener gave to his supercontinent. It is a Greek word that means “all lands”.

Question 11

What is Panthalassa?

Answer 11

Panthalassa was the name that Wegener gave to the one ocean surrounding the supercontinent. It is a Greek word that means “all seas”.

Question 12

How many major plates are there?

Answer 12

7

Question 13

What is the Trans-Atlantic Ridge?

Answer 13

The Trans-Atlantic Ridge is a mountain range under the Atlantic Ocean. It is the place where two plates are moving away from each other, creating new crust.

Question 14

What is the theory of plate tectonics?

Answer 14

It is the theory that Wegener came up with. It is the idea that the Earth’s crust is broken into seven major plates that are moving. The theory says that the continents were once all one giant supercontinent called “Pangaea” and that they have drifted to where they are now.

Question 15

What are the four pieces of evidence that support the theory of plate tectonics?

Answer 15

1) Fossils of an animal called “mesosaurus” found on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
2) The continents look like pieces of a puzzle and that they could easily fit together.
3) There is evidence of palm trees under the ice in Antarctica.
4) Earthquakes are believed to be caused by moving plates.

Question 16

Who was Alfred Wegener?

Answer 16

A German meteorologist who came up with Continental Drift Theory.

Question 17

What is subduction?

Answer 17

Subduction is what happens when two tectonic plates move towards each other. Where the two plates meet, one plate gets sucked under the other plate. The parts of the plate that get sucked under go into the mantle, are melted and become magma. On the top plate, mountains are formed.

Question 18

What is separation?

Answer 18

When two plates move away from each other, it is called separation. When this happens, the plates leave a gap between them. Magma comes up through this gap creating new crust in the form of ridges (like the Trans Atlantic Ridge).

Question 19

What is slipping?

Answer 19

Slipping happens when two plates slide past each other and rub together.

Question 20

Have scientists seen the inner core?

Answer 20

No!