Plate Tectonics Liz LaRosa for use with my 5 th Grade Science Class

Earth’s Layers The Earth's rocky outer crust solidified billions of years ago, soon after the Earth formed. This crust is not a solid shell; it is broken up into huge, thick plates that drift atop the soft, underlying mantle.

The Crust Outermost layer 5 – 100 km thick Made of Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum

The Mantle Layer of Earth between the crust and the core Contains most of the Earth’s mass 2,900km Thick Has more magnesium and less aluminum and silicon than the crust Is denser than the crust Scientists know about the composition from studying what comes out of volcanoes.

The Core Below the mantle and to the center of the Earth 3,430 Km Thick Believed to be mostly Iron, smaller amounts of Nickel The core has two parts: the inner core, which is a solid and the outer core, a liquid.

The Lithosphere The crust and the upper layer of the mantle together make up a zone of rigid, brittle rock called the Lithosphere.

Tectonic Plates

The Asthenosphere The asthenosphere is the semi- rigid part of the middle mantle that flows like hot asphalt under a heavy weight.

The Mesosphere The mesosphere is the strong, lower mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core. Mesosphere (lower mantle)

Plate Tectonics Greek – “tektonikos” of a builder Pieces of the lithosphere that move around Each plate has a name Fit together like jigsaw puzzles Float on top of mantle similar to ice cubes in a bowl of water