5 Questions
What is the composition of Earth's inner core?
Solid iron and nickel
Where do convection currents occur in the Earth's interior?
In the mantle
What causes the movement of tectonic plates?
Convection currents in the mantle
What can result from tremendous stresses along faults in the Earth's crust?
Earthquakes
Which layer of Earth is described as a thin layer that we live on?
Crust
Study Notes
- Earth's inner core is 750 miles thick, made of solid iron and nickel, surrounded by superheated metal and rock in the mantle.
- The Earth's crust, where we live, is a thin layer less than 1% of Earth's mass and can be as little as four miles thick.
- The mantle, a fluid of molten rock, has convection currents where hot rock rises and cooler rock falls back down, pushing on the crust.
- The crust is broken into plates that move due to convection currents in the mantle, sometimes colliding or rubbing against each other.
- Tremendous stresses build up as plates push against each other until they rupture along faults, causing earthquakes.
Explore the composition of Earth's layers, from the solid inner core to the fluid mantle and the thin crust where life thrives. Learn how the movement of tectonic plates, driven by convection currents in the mantle, leads to earthquakes and other geological phenomena.
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