1. Geology

2. GEOLOGY Geology = The study of Earth DEFINITION Greek Earth

4. INNER CORE HOT!!!! – Thought to be as hot as the surface of the Sun!
Solid
Composed of Iron and Nickel

5. OUTER CORE HOT! (but not as hot as the inner core) Liquid
Composed of Iron and Nickel

6. MANTLE Still hot! – but not as hot as the core! Largest layer
Composed of various materials
Solid and liquid

7. CRUST Cool What we live on
Composed of rocks, various materials make up the crust
Solid or Liquid?

8. SOLID!!!!
Even though 70% of the Earth’s surface is water, there is crust under the water. The water sits on top of the crust!

9. The Earth’s crust moves!!!!!
The continents have not always been arranged like they are today.
- The Earth’s crust is divided into segments called plates.

10. Pangaea Supercontinent that existed 250 million years ago
All the land made up 1 continent until its split into the modern day configuration of the continents.
Discovered by Alfred
Wegner in 1912, but
not accepted by the
public until after his
death in the 1950’s.

12. Earth’s internal heat engine
3 reasons for internal heat:
from impact during Earth formation
2) radioactive decay of uranium, thorium, potassium
3) heat released as inner core forms
Ways to transfer heat:
1) conduction - motion of atoms
2) convection - mass movement of material

13. Convection in the Mantle Drives Plate Tectonics! But how?

14. Earth’s dynamic interior and crust
Prelude: Plate Tectonics
Earth’s dynamic interior and crust
Heat loss drives plate tectonics
Three types of plate boundaries

16. material, per unit volume. Usually given in grams per
Density:
Defined as the mass of a
material, per unit volume.
Usually given in grams per
cubic centimeter (g/cm3).
For comparison, the density
of water is 1.0 g /cm3.

17. Earth’s internal heat engine Cooler materials are denser and sink.
Hot materials are less dense and rise.
Cooler materials are denser and sink.

18. Convecting materials in the Earth’s mantle
originate deep, near the core-mantle boundary

19. Most heat from the deep interior is transferred
to the shallow mantle by buoyant masses of
hot, low density material called “plumes”.

20. Heat of the upper mantle sets up shallow
convection cells that drive plate motions.

21. Plumes Create Volcanic Hotspots
Hawaiian Islands

22. Earth’s internal heat engine
See: MantleConvection.MOV

23. Consequences of Plate Motions: Mountain Building

24. Volcanic Activity
Mt. Mayon, Philippines

25. Consequences of Plate Motions: Earthquakes!