THE EARTH STRUCTURE AND

COMPOSITION

ENGR. KRISTINE R. CERVANCIA

 OBJECTIVES

• Differentiate layers of the Earth based on

physical properties.
• Differentiate layers of the Earth based on
chemical properties
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RKoLleyDJ4
COMPOSITIONAL LAYERS OF THE EARTH
Information about the compositional layers
Layer Definition Depth
Crust The outermost solid layer of a rocky planet or natural
satellite. Chemically distinct from the underlying 0-100km silicates
mantle.

Mantle A layer of the Earth (or any planet large enough to

support internal stratification) between the crust and the
outer core. It is chemically distinct from the crust and
100-2900km iron and
the outer core. The mantle is not liquid. It is, however,
ductile, or plastic, which means that on very long time magnesium silicates
scales and under pressure it can flow. The mantle is
mainly composed of aluminum and silicates.

Core The innermost layers of the Earth. The Earth has an

outer core (liquid) and an inner core (solid). They are
not chemically distinct from each other, but they are 2900-6370km metals
chemically distinct from the mantle. The core is mainly
composed of nickel and iron.
 CRUST

Is the topmost shell of the earth, which has a

thickness of 30-40 km in the continents and 5-6 km
in the oceans.
• Ocean
• Land/ Continental
 CRUST

There is a striking variation in the materials or

rocks, as they are called, composing the crust over
the continents and ocean floors. .
 CRUST

The oceanic crust is made up of heavier and darker

rocks called basalts compared to light-colored and
light-density, granitic rocks of the continental crust.
When considered as a part of the total structure of
the earth, crust makes only an insignificant part
represented by a thin layer, similar to the skin of an
apple.
 CRUST

As regards he chemical composition of the crust,

analyses made by Clarke and Gold Schmith, using
rocks from different geographic regions of the crust
have all shown that when expressed in terms of
oxides, the crust has Silica as the most dominant
component, its value lying above 50% by volume in
the oceanic crust and above 62% in the continental
crust.
 CRUST

Alumina is the next important oxide, varying

between 13- 16% followed by Iron Oxides (8%),
Lime (6%), Sodium (4%), Magnesium (4%), Potassium
(2.5%) & Titanium (2%). The crust itself shows a
complicated structure both in make-up and
compositional variations.
 MANTLE

At the base of the crust materials of the earth

become greatly different in many properties from
those overlying them in the crust.
• Upper Mantle
• Lower Mantle
 MANTLE

These materials appear to form a nearly

homogeneous zone till a depth of 2900 km is
reached. This zone of materials lying between crust
and a depth of 2900 km.
 MANTLE

It is made up of extremely basic materials, called

ultra-basic rocks, which are believed to be very rich
in iron and magnesium but quite poor in silica. Such
rock names as Periodotites, Dunite.
This One is characterized with a high density,
increasing steadily with depth further; the mantle
material is believed to be highly plastic in nature.
 MANTLE

Many of the most important geological process such

as earthquakes and formation of mountains are
believed to have their origin in this zone.
 CORE

It is the third and the innermost structure shell of

the earth, which is clearly marked by the seismic
evidence. It starts at a depth of 2900 km below the
surface and extends right up to the center of the
earth at 6370 km.
• Outer Core
• Inner Core
 CORE

The material making g the core is found to be from seismic

studies only strikingly different from that making the other
two shells in one major aspect, in elastic properties. The
material has no shear resistance, which makes it nearer to
liquid than to a solid body. It has a very high density, above
10gms/cubic centimeter, at the mantle –core boundary.
 CORE

Nothing can be said about the composition of the

core. According to one, widely favored view, the
core is made up of Iron and Nickel alloy material.
 ME CHANIC AL
LAYE RS OF THE
E ARTH
Information about the mechanical layers
Layer Definition Depth
Lithosphere The outermost and most rigid mechanical layer of the Earth. The
lithosphere includes the crust and the top of the mantle. The average
thickness is ~70km, but ranges widely: It can be very thin, only a few km 0-100 km
thick under oceanic crust or mid-ocean ridges, or very thick, 150+ km under
continental crust, particularly mountain belts.

Asthenosphere The asthenosphere is underneath the lithosphere. It is about 100km thick, 100-350 km Soft
and is a region of the mantle that flows relatively easily. Reminder: it is not plastic *note: The
liquid. mantle is not liquid!

Mesosphere The mesosphere is beneath the asthenosphere. It encompasses the lower

350-2900km stiff
mantle, where material still flows but at a much slower rate than the plastic
asthenosphere.

Outer Core A layer of liquid iron and nickel (and other elements) beneath the
mesosphere. This is the only layer of the Earth that is a true liquid, and the
core-mantle boundary is the only boundary of Earth’s layers that is both 5100-6370 km solid
mechanical and compositional. Flow of the liquid outer core is responsible
for Earth’s magnetic field.
 ATMOSPHERE

• The outer gaseous part of earth starting from the surface

and extending as far as 700km and beyond is termed
atmosphere. Although extending for such great distances,
the atmosphere makes only one-millionth part of the mass
of earth; this is because of its gaseous composition. It is
now fairly established that the atmosphere possesses a
layered structure.
• Their well-defined layers or zones of the atmosphere are
surface upward, troposphere, stratosphere and ionosphere.
 LITHOSPHERE

It is the solid part of the earth and in a broader

sense includes all the solid materials composing the
earth from surface downwards, although
sometimes-specific terms are used for deeper earth
zones. Recent detailed seismic studies of the body
of the earth have shown that it is composed of
three well-defined shells, Crust, Mantle, Core.
 LITHOSPHERE

Outermost strength zone, a region where rocks are cooler,

stronger, and more rigid than those in the plastic
asthenosphere.
This hard outer region, which includes the uppermost mantle
and all of the crust, is called the lithosphere ("rock sphere").
 LITHOSPHERE

It is important to remember that despite the fact

that the crust and mantle differ in composition, it is
rock strength, not rock composition, that
differentiates the lithosphere from the
asthenosphere.
 ASTHENOSPHERE

From 350 to between 100 and 200 km below the

Earth’s surface, is a region called the asthenosphere
("weak sphere"), where the balance between
temperature and pressure is such that rocks have
little strength.
Instead of being strong, like the rocks in the
mesosphere, rocks in the asthenosphere are weak
and easily deformed, like butter or warm tar.
 ASTHENOSPHERE

As far as geologists can tell, the compositions of the

mesosphere and the asthenosphere are the same.
The difference between them is one of physical
properties; in this case the property that changes is
strength.
 MESOSPHERE

The strength of a solid is controlled by both temperature

and pressure.
When a solid is heated, it loses strength. When it is
compressed, it gains strength.
Differences in temperature and pressure divide the mantle
and crust into three strength regions.
 MESOSPHERE

In the lower part of the mangle, the rock is so highly

compressed that it has considerable strength even though
the temperature is very high.
Thus, a solid region of high temperature but also relatively
high strength exists within the mantle from the core-mantle
boundary (at 2,883 km depth) to a depth of about 350 km
and is called the mesosphere ("intermediate, of middle,
sphere").
 INNER AND OUTER CORE

Within the core an inner region exists where pressures are

so great that iron is solid despite its high temperature.
The solid center of the Earth is in the inner core.
Surrounding the inner core is a zone where temperature and
pressure are so balanced that the iron is molten and exists
as a liquid. This is the outer core.
 INNER AND OUTER CORE

The difference between the inner and outer cores is

not one of the composition (the compositions are
believed to be the same). Instead, the difference lies
in the physical states of the two: one is a solid, the
other is a liquid.
FAQS
WHAT IS THE OU TER L AYER OF THE EARTH?
 WHAT IS THE OU TER L AYER OF THE EARTH?

The outer layer of the Earth is the crust, a hard

thin layer that is composed of continental and
oceanic crust.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT
PARTS OF THE EARTH?
 WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT
PARTS OF THE EARTH?

The different parts of the Earth are the

crust, mantle, outer core, and inner
core.
HOW MANY LAYERS ARE THERE
IN THE EARTH?
 HOW MANY LAYERS ARE THERE
IN THE EARTH?

There are 4 layers in Earth generally speaking.

However, it depends how you measure each
layer, based on physical or chemical
properties.
WHAT IS THE DEPTH OF THE INNER
CORE OF THE EARTH?
 WHAT IS THE DEPTH OF THE INNER
CORE OF THE EARTH?

• The inner core of the earth starts

at 5,150 km from the Earth's
surface and extends to the center
of the Earth.
WHAT MATERIALS MAKE UP THE
INNER CORE?
 WHAT MATERIALS MAKE UP THE
INNER CORE?

The inner core is made up of primarily iron

at 80% and nickel, along with trace amounts
of heavy metals.
HOW DEEP IS THE EARTH'S CRUST?
 HOW DEEP IS THE EARTH'S CRUST?

Earth's crust ranges from 5 to 60 kilometers

depending on oceanic versus continental
crust
WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF
EARTH'S CRUST?
 WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF
EARTH'S CRUST?

The two types of crust are the dense

and thin oceanic crust and less dense
and thicker continental crust.
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CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY