Lecture 06

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT
ENV 203/GEO 205: INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY
LECTURE 06
PROFESSOR DR. MD. MIZANUR RAHMAN (RMR)
Department of Environmental Science and Management

Course No. ENV 203/GEO 205
North South University
TODAY’S LECTURE CONTENT…
THIS LECTURE WILL COVER…
1. Composition & Structure of the Earth

INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH

EARTH’S LAYERED STRUCTURE FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES

EARTH’S LAYERED STRUCTURE FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES

COMPOSITION OF THE EARTH
EARTH LAYERS…
The Earth is not a solid sphere.
It is made of four major layers.
- Crust
- Mantle
- Outer Core
- Inner Core

FORMATION OF THE EARTH’S LAYERS
FORMATION…
• After Earth Formed, radioactive elements decayed and heat

was released.
• Caused melting of interior.
• Denser elements sank to core (Iron and Nickel).
• Process is still on going.
This is how the layers were formed.

EARTH LAYERS
CRUST… • Crust is the ‘Outer Skin’ of Planet Earth.

• Continental crust is about 70 km thick.
• Oceanic crust is about 10 km thick.
• Silica and Basaltic
Composition.
• Density 3.0 g/cm3 .

EARTH LAYERS
CRUST… Earth’s solid and rocky exterior is the

crust composed of a great variety of
rocks.
Rocks respond to diverse ways to
earth-shaping processes.
Practically crust is the only portion of
the lithosphere of which earth
scientists have direct knowledge.
Earth’s deep interior components, the
mantle, core are of concern to the
physical geographers primarily because
they are responsible for any change in
the lithosphere particularly the crust
that forms the ocean floor &
continents.

EARTH LAYERS
OCEANIC AND CONTINENTAL CRUST…

Continental crust is composed of
mainly sial. The upper part of the
crust is continental crust or sial
layer.
Oceanic crust exists in the lower
part of the crust. Oceanic crust is
composed of heavy metals, dark
coloured, iron rich rocks that are
also high in Si & Mg (also known as
sima).
Compared to continental crust,
oceanic crust is quite thin coz its
density (3 g/cm3) which is greater
than that of continental crust (2.7
g/cm3).
EARTH LAYERS
ROCK CYCLE

EARTH LAYERS
PROCESSES OF THE EARTH’S CHANGE
- Sudden change
- Slow change
Agents : River, air/wind, glacier, tides
Processes:
Endogenic (tectonic movement-
earthquake or volcanic eruption etc.)
Exogenic (weathering/erosion, mass

movement, transportation of
loads/sediments, deposition etc.)
Extra-terrestrial process- (meteor fall or

cosmic ash etc.)

EARTH LAYERS
EARTH’S MAJOR RELIEF AND/OR LANDFORM
- Mountains (the Himalayas, the Alps, the

Andes, the Rocky mountains etc.)
- Plains (indo-gangetic plains)
- Deserts (Sahara, Thor, Gobi etc.)
- Plateaus (Indian Deccan Plateau)
- Rivers (Ganges, Nile, Mississippi)

EARTH LAYERS
MANTLE… • About 2900 km thick.

• Made of mostly Iron, Silicon and Magnesium.
• Asthenosphere is the upper part of the mantle.
• Very viscous.
• Upper Mantle:
Igneous Rock.
• It changes at
greater depths.
The mantle is
composed of various
layers distinguished
by different
characteristics of
strength and rigidity.

EARTH LAYERS
MANTLE…
• The outermost layer of mantle, with an
average thickness of 100 kms behaves
like an elastic solid.
• Elastic solids are rigid & brittle/fragile.

EARTH LAYERS
MANTLE…

EARTH LAYERS
MANTLE…
- Together the uppermost mantle layer
and the crust form a unit called the
lithosphere.
- The term lithosphere has traditionally

been used to describe the entire solid
earth.
- In recent decades, the term lithosphere has also been used in

a separate sense to refer to the brittle outer shell of the earth,
including the crust & this rigid uppermost mantle layer.
- Extending down from the base of the lithosphere, about 600

kms further into the mantle is the Asthenosphere (a thick layer
of mantle material). This material can flow both vertically &
horizontally.

EARTH LAYERS
MANTLE…
- Many scientists agree now that the
energy for tectonic forces, large scale
forces that break and deform earth’s
crust, sometimes resulting in
earthquakes and often responsible for
mountain building comes from
movement within this plastic
Asthenosphere.
- Movement in the Asthenosphere is produced by thermal

convection currents that occur in the rest of the mantle below
the Asthenosphere.
- The interface between mantle and overlaying crust is marked

by a significant change of density, called a discontinuity, which
is indicated by an abrupt increase in the velocity of seismic
waves as they travel down through this internal boundary.

EARTH LAYERS
EARTH’S CORE…
• Earth’s inner most

section, the core, contains
one third of the Earth’s
mass.
• The core is under

enormous pressure
(several million times
atmospheric pressure at
the Sea level.

EARTH LAYERS
OUTER CORE… • Approximately 2100 km thick.

• Made of molten Iron and Nickel.

EARTH LAYERS
INNER CORE… • Approximately 1300 km radius.

• Solid ball of Iron and Nickel.
• Extremely hot.
• Stays a solid due to very high pressure.

EARTH LAYERS
MOVEMENT OF MATERIALS :

EARTH LAYERS

EARTH LAYERS

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND MANAGEMENT

ENV 203/GEO 205: INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY

PROFESSOR DR. MD. MIZANUR RAHMAN (RMR)

Department of Environmental Science and Management

THIS LECTURE WILL COVER…

1. Composition & Structure of the Earth

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Department of Environmental Science and Management

The Earth is not a solid sphere.

It is made of four major layers.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

• After Earth Formed, radioactive elements decayed and heat

This is how the layers were formed.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

CRUST… • Crust is the ‘Outer Skin’ of Planet Earth.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

CRUST… Earth’s solid and rocky exterior is the

Department of Environmental Science and Management

OCEANIC AND CONTINENTAL CRUST…

Department of Environmental Science and Management

PROCESSES OF THE EARTH’S CHANGE

Exogenic (weathering/erosion, mass

Extra-terrestrial process- (meteor fall or

Department of Environmental Science and Management

EARTH’S MAJOR RELIEF AND/OR LANDFORM

- Mountains (the Himalayas, the Alps, the

- Plains (indo-gangetic plains)

- Deserts (Sahara, Thor, Gobi etc.)

- Plateaus (Indian Deccan Plateau)

- Rivers (Ganges, Nile, Mississippi)

Department of Environmental Science and Management

MANTLE… • About 2900 km thick.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Department of Environmental Science and Management

- The term lithosphere has traditionally

- In recent decades, the term lithosphere has also been used in

- Extending down from the base of the lithosphere, about 600

Department of Environmental Science and Management

- Movement in the Asthenosphere is produced by thermal

- The interface between mantle and overlaying crust is marked

Department of Environmental Science and Management

• Earth’s inner most

• The core is under

Department of Environmental Science and Management

OUTER CORE… • Approximately 2100 km thick.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

INNER CORE… • Approximately 1300 km radius.

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Department of Environmental Science and Management

Department of Environmental Science and Management

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