1. Earth Systems: Interior of Earth

2. Earth Basics ≈ 71% Earth’s surface covered with H2O
Slightly flattened sphere “oblate spheroid”
Surface is fairly smooth
3rd planet (rock) from the sun
5th largest planet (12,756 km diameter)
Gravity – force of attraction between matter
(6 times greater than the moon!)

3. Earth’s Interior

4. Earth’s Interior
Properties determined by changes in speed and direction of seismic waves
Seismic waves are vibrations that travel through Earth

6. Compositional Zones:
Crust – thin outermost layer of Earth above the mantle
Oceanic Crust – beneath the oceans
(5 -10 km thick)
Continental Crust – makes up the continents
(15 – 80 km thick)
Mantle – layer of rock between the crust and core
Core – central part of Earth below the mantle composed of Iron and Nickel

7. Compositional Zones

8. Structural Zones:
Lithosphere – solid, outer layer of Earth that consists of the crust and the rigid upper part of the mantle
Asthenosphere – solid, “plastic like” layer of the mantle which can flow and move the tectonic plates above it
Mesosphere – the middle sphere, strong, lower part of the mantle, made of solid rock

9. Structural Zones: Outer Core – dense liquid of iron and nickel
Inner Core – dense rigid solid of iron and nickel

10. Earth is Magnetic
Two magnetic poles create magnetic field surrounding Earth
May be caused by movement of liquid iron in outer core
Sun and moon have magnetic fields but sun has no iron and moon has no liquid outer core
As liquid moves, electric currents create magnetic field

11. Earth’s Magnetic Field