Earth's Structure and Plate Tectonics PDF

# Earth's Structure ## Internal Structure - **Earth's core:** - Inner Core: solid - Outer core: Liquid - **Mantle:** - Upper solid mantle (Lithosphere) - Lower most solid mantle - **Crust (Lithosphere):** 0-100 km thick ## Composition of Earth's Layers - **Inner Core:** Iron, N...

# Earth's Structure ## Internal Structure - **Earth's core:** - Inner Core: solid - Outer core: Liquid - **Mantle:** - Upper solid mantle (Lithosphere) - Lower most solid mantle - **Crust (Lithosphere):** 0-100 km thick ## Composition of Earth's Layers - **Inner Core:** Iron, Nickel - **Outer Core:** Liquid Iron, Nickel - **Mantle:** Silicate minerals - (SiO2, MgO, FeO, CaO, Na2O, K2O) - **Crust:** - **Continental Crust:** - 30-70 km thick - Contains granite, silicon, aluminum (felsic) - **Oceanic Crust:** - 6-10km thick - Contains basalt, magnesium, iron (mafic) ## Plate Tectonics - **Lithospheric Plates:** - These plates move on top of the asthenosphere (upper mantle), and these interactions are the driving force behind earthquakes, volcanic activity, and mountain building. - **Types of Plate Boundaries:** - Convergent: plates collide - Divergent: plates move apart - Transform: plates slide past each other ## Diagrams ### Diagram 1: Earth's Structure This diagram displays the Earth's internal structure with the proportions of each layer: - **Inner Core:** 1% - **Outer Core:** 31% - **Mantle:** 68% - **Crust:** 1% ### Diagram 2: Earth's Materials This diagram shows the composition of Earth's layers in terms of the percentage of elements: - **Crust:** Silicon, Aluminum - **Mantle:** Iron, Magnesium, Silicon, Oxygen - **Outer Core:** Iron, Nickel - **Inner Core:** Iron, Nickel ### Diagram 3: 3D model of Earth's Composition This 3D model represents the Earth's composition with different colored sectors: - **Red:** Iron - **Blue:** Silicon - **Green:** Magnesium - **Yellow:** Oxygen - **Orange:** Calcium - **Light Blue:** Sodium - **Purple:** Potassium - **Pink:** Aluminum - **White:** Other elements ### Diagram 4: 3D model of Earth's Temperature This 3D model displays the Earth's temperature based on depth with a color scale: - **Red:** 1000°C - **Orange:** 2000°C - **Yellow:** 3000°C - **Green:** 4000°C - **Blue:** 5000°C - **Purple:** 6000°C ### Diagram 5: Earth's Cross Section This diagram illustrates the Earth's cross-section, highlighting the following key features: - **Crust:** The outermost layer, thin and relatively solid - **Mantle:** The thickest layer, made up of hot, dense rock - **Outer Core:** A liquid layer composed mainly of iron and nickel - **Inner Core:** A solid, very dense ball made up of iron and nickel ### Diagram 6: Topography of Earth This diagram displays a 3D model of Earth's topography with a color scale for elevation: - **Dark Green:** High elevation - **Light Green:** Lower elevation - **Yellow:** Sea level ### Diagram 7: Earth's Plate Tectonics This diagram illustrates the seven major lithospheric plates and their movement based on arrows: - **North American Plate** (red) - **Eurasian Plate** (blue) - **African Plate** (green) - **Indo-Australian Plate** (yellow) - **South American Plate** (orange) - **Antarctic Plate** (purple) - **Pacific Plate** (brown) - **Plate Boundaries:** - **Divergent Boundaries:** marked by red arrows - **Convergent Boundaries:** marked by dark arrows - **Transform Boundaries:** marked by purple arrows This diagram exhibits the boundaries of the lithospheric plates with labeled arrows indicating the direction of their movement: - **Divergent:** Plates moving apart - **Convergent:** Plates colliding - **Transform:** Plates sliding past each other ## Summary This document provides an overview of the Earth's structure, composition, and tectonic plates with visuals to represent key aspects. The sections explore the internal structure, composition, and plate tectonics, giving a better understanding of our dynamic planet.