Ages

Introduction

Summary

The Earth is a sphere made up of several layers which are physically different from one another. The core at the centre is metallic, hot and dense. The mantle around it (80% of the Earth’s volume) is a layer of rock subjected to high pressures and temperatures. The continents and the ocean floor make up the Earth’s crust, the outer layer.
Illustrations are drawn to scale.

 

Goals

• To develop understanding of the structure of the Earth’s interior.
• To illustrate the importance of proportions and the concept of scale.

Features

Rollover the layers to display their characteristics.

Click on to see details of the upper layers.

Student sheet

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Tags

Earth temperature chemical-composition lithosphere asthenospheric mantle inner-core outer-core Gutenberg-discontinuity Mohorovicic-discontinuity moho peridotite oceanic-crust continental-crust lithospheric granitic-rock basaltic-rock cross-section