Physical Science Interior of the Earth
Earthquake And Volcano Map
Earthquake Information ards/category.php?cat_id=12
We understand the components of our earth by looking at Seismic wave – waves traveling through the earth From Yahoo Images
Seismic Waves Body Waves – travel through the earths interior Surface Waves – travel on the earths surface From Yahoo Images
Body Waves Primary waves (p wave) longitudinal type waves travel in all directions from source move faster than s waves Secondary waves (s wave) Transverse type wave Similar to waves produced from a violin string Cannot propagate through liquid
Surface wave Rayleigh waves – move in an up and down motion Love waves – move in a side to side motion
S Waves Do Not Travel Through Liquids From Yahoo Images
Waves Through the Earth
The core Inner core – composed of Iron and nickel solid Outer core – liquid iron and nickel – the flow of these metals produces the magnetic field From Yahoo Images
The mantle Composed of hot iron rich silicate rocks
Upper mantle Asthenoshphere – lower portion plastic like properties Lithosphere – floats on the asthenoshpere and includes the crust
Continental crust is less dense than ocean crust – floats
Continental drift Pangaea – having all the continents together as on land mass
Evidences for such a theory Mountain chain similarities Identical rock compositions Similar fossil findings Climatic data – ice sheets Change of the earths magnetism