MOVEMENT AND

CHANGE
Movements in the Earth
Structure of the Earth
Structure of the Earth
• We live on the thin,
solid crust.
• The mantle is made
of hot rock. It extends
half way to the centre
of the Earth.
• The core is very
dense because it is
made of iron and
nickle.
Structure of the Earth
• The outer core is
molten (liquid). The
inner core is solid.
Structure of the Earth
• How do we know
what the Earth is like
inside?

• The answer is that we

make use of
Earthquakes.
Structure of the Earth
• An earthquake sends
out strong vibrations,
called seismic waves.
• These travel from one
side of the Earth to
the other and can be
detected by
seismometers.
Structure of the Earth
• During an
earthquake, seismic
waves are produced.
• These can be
recorded on
seismometers.
Structure of the Earth
• This picture shows
the basic idea behind
a seismometer.
• They are very
sensitive and can
even detect atomic
explosions from the
other side of the
world.
Structure of the Earth
• This is a seismograph
and shows the trace
produced by a major
earthquake.
Structure of the Earth
• There are two types
of seismic waves and
it is the difference
between these two
waves that tells us
about the internal
structure of the Earth.
 Seismic Waves
There are two types of waves caused by
earthquakes.

• P waves (or primary waves): These are

detected first by seismometers because
they travel faster than S waves.
• They travel as longitudinal waves.
Longitudinal waves (P waves)
 Seismic Waves

• S waves (or secondary waves): These

travel more slowly.
• They travel as transverse waves.
Transverse waves (S waves)
 Seismic Waves
• BOTH P and S waves can travel through
solid materials, but transverse waves, S
waves, can not travel through a liquid.
• Transverse waves can travel along a liquid
surface.
Seismic Waves
• When an earthquake
occurs, P and S
waves travel through
the Earth.
• They travel on curved
paths as they speed
up as they go.
• P waves are partly
reflected and partly
refracted.

• S waves are totally

reflected; they cannot
travel through the
liquid core.
• Seismometers around the world detect the
waves.
• The fact that S waves are not detected on
the far side of the Earth from earthquakes
give evidence that part of the Earth’s core
is liquid.
MOVING PLATES
• The outer layer of the Earth made of the
crust and upper mantle is called the
lithosphere.
• The lithosphere is arranged in plates
which cover the Earth.
• Earthquakes and volcanoes occur at the
edges of the plates.
 Why do the plates move?
• The hot mantle is heated by radioactive
decay in the centre of the Earth.
• This heat cause the liquid magma within
the Earth to move (by convection currents)
• It is these huge convection currents which
cause the plates to move.
When plates move apart
• When plates move
apart a crack appears
between them.
• Molten magma flows
from the mantle into
the crack.
• This is seen as
volcanic activity.
When plates move apart
• Most of this volcanic
activity occurs hidden
from view in the
depths of the oceans.
When plates come together
• When two plates
collide, one plate will
be forced beneath
another plate.
• Usually the denser
oceanic crust is
forced under the less
dense continental
crust
• The ocean crust is forced under the
continental crust.
• As the rock from the ocean crust goes into
the mantle, it melts and becomes magma.
 explosive
volcanoes

powerful earthquakes

mantle crust melts

Slip-sliding plates
• In some places in the
world the plates are
sliding past each
other.
• When plates slide
past each other they
often jam for several
years.
• This results in very
powerful earthquakes.
Slip-sliding plates
• The San Andreas
fault in California is
such a fault.
• This fault frequently
causes large quakes.
• In 1906 it destroyed
the city of San
Francisco.