CHAPTER 3

STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH

 CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORY

- All the landmasses together formed a super continent known as Pangea.

- All the water body known as Panthalassa.
- Due to the internal movement of the earth, the landmass started to divide into pieces like a jigsaw puzzle.
- These pieces were known as plates and they floated on the liquid rock matter.
- Continental Draft theory was started by Alfred Wegener who was a German Scientist .
 INTERIOR OF THE EARTH

- The earth’s interior is made up of three layers, crust, mantle and core.
- The continents and ocean floor together form the crust of the earth. The curst is also outermost layer of
the earth.
- Mantle is the second layer of the earth. It is made of rocks rich in iron and other metals.
- Core is the center of the earth is made of two heavy metals nickel and iron.
 EXTERIOR OF THE EARTH

- The surface of the earth is made of 29 % of the land surface covered by the earth and 71% of
the water body covered by the earth.
- The large landmasses are called continents. The very deep and large water bodies are called
1. Asia oceans.
2. Africa 1. Pacific
3. North America 2. Atlantic
4. South America 3. Indian
5. Europe 4. Arctic
6. Antarctica 5, Antarctic (Southern Ocean)
7. Australia
 VOLC ANOES
• 1.Volcano- A mountain or hill, typically conical, having a crater or vent through which lava, rock fragments,
hot vapour and gases are thrown out is called volcano.
• Magma- molten mass of rocks known as magma.
• Vent- The magma and gases are forced out through the earth’s surface.
• Lava- The hot magma thrown out through the vent
• Crater-The mouth of the volcano is funnel shaped
 WHERE CAN WE FOUND THE
VOLCANOES?

- Most of the volcanoes commonly occur at boundaries of plates.

- These areas are where the impact of the plate movement is the greatest.
- The large numbers of volcanoes lies in Pacific Ocean.
 TYPES OF VOLCANOES

• Active Volcano- Which has erupted from time to time . Example-

Mount St Helen in USA.
• Dormant Volcano- “Sleeping Volcano” which is presently inactive but
one day may erupt again. Example – Mount Fuji in Japan.
• Extinct Volcano- Unlikely to erupt again. Example – Mount Kilimanjaro
in Tanzania.
 KEY VOCABULARY

• 2. Earthquake- The magma and gases in the earth’s interior move and push the land upward, making the earth
tremble or vibrate is called an earthquake.
• Focus – The place where an earthquake begins, below the earth’s surface is called focus.
• Epicenter-The point of the earth’s surface, just above the focus
• Seismology- The study of earthquakes.
• Seismometer- An instrument that is measured and recorded by the earthquake movement.
• 3. Tsunami- A tsunami is a series of underwater waves, created in an ocean or water body by an earthquake,
landslide, volcanic eruption or any other reasons.
• 4. Flood- Flood is usually occur due to heavy rainfall resulting in overflow of water from waterbodies.
• 5. Drought- Drought is a period of dry weather which happens due to lack of rainfall.
• 6. Cyclones- Cyclones are high speed winds which move in circles and are accomplished by heavy showers.
 D. ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1.Draw the diagram of the volcanoes ;What is a volcano?

2. How does an earthquake occur?
3. What is a tsunami?
4.Draw the diagram of interior of the earth and define as Crust, Mantle and Core?
5. Describe about the core of the earth is called NiFe?
Core is the center of the earth and is made of two heavy metals, nickel and iron. Hence this layer is
also known as NiFe.
6. How does useful the water bodies of the earth?
Water bodies are home for the aquatic animals and also source of water transport then to produce
salt and electricity.