Earth Interior - Chemical and Mechanical Models
- 1. Lithospheric Plates 1. Why is the Earth broken up into different pieces on the surface? 2. What is making the plates move relative to one another?
- 2. Convection Currents Heat from the Interior creates convection currents slowly moving rock due to density differences.
- 3. Convection Currents Crust Mantle Core Differences in density displace material A more dense material will fall and replace a less dense material making it rise. Water = More Dense Oil = Less Dense Colder = More Dense Warmer = Less Dense
- 4. Two different models of Earth’s Interior Mechanical Model The physical properties that allow the movement we observe. Chemical Model The composition of each layer.
- 5. Chemical Model Crust Mantle Core Elements get heavier Temperature Increases Pressure Increases The closer to the core… ATM
- 6. Composition: Layers of Earth The crust is the layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer skin. The crust is a layer of solid rock that includes both dry land and the ocean floor. CRUST
- 7. Composition: Layers of Earth The crust is the layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer skin. The crust is a layer of solid rock that includes both dry land and the ocean floor. Oceanic crust consists mostly of rocks such as basalt – Thinner Crust
- 8. Composition: Layers of Earth The crust is the layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer skin. The crust is a layer of solid rock that includes both dry land and the ocean floor. Oceanic crust consists mostly of rocks such as basalt – Thinner Crust Continental crust, the crust that forms the continents, consists mainly of rocks such as granite – Thicker Crust.
- 9. Earth’s mantle is made up of rock that is very hot, but solid. Mantle
- 10. Earth’s mantle is made up of rock that is very hot, but solid. Scientists divide the mantle into layers based on the physical characteristics of those layers.
- 11. The uppermost part of the mantle and the crust together form a rigid layer called the lithosphere
- 12. The part of the mantle just beneath the lithosphere is less rigid than the rock above. This part of the mantle is somewhat soft—it can bend like plastic. This soft layer is called the asthenosphere
- 13. The core is made mostly of the metals iron and nickel. It consists of two parts—a liquid outer core and a solid inner core. OUTER CORE INNER CORE
- 14. The outer core is a layer of molten metal that surrounds the inner core. Despite enormous pressure, the outer core is liquid.
- 15. The Core and Earth’s Magnetic Field Scientists think that movements in the liquid outer core create Earth’s magnetic field. Because Earth has a magnetic field, the planet acts like a giant bar magnet.
- 16. The inner core is a dense ball of solid metal. In the inner core, extreme pressure squeezes the atoms of iron and nickel so much that they cannot spread out and become liquid.
- 18. Mechanical ModelCOREMANTLECRUST Upper Lower Middle Ocean Land Outer Inner Solid Plastic Molten Liquid Solid Lithosphere Asthenosphere Mesosphere Liquid Fe and Ni Solid Fe and Ni
- 19. Let’s put the chemical and mechanical models together!