There are 4 main layers that make

up the earth:
The crust
The mantle
The outer core
The inner core
 The Crust
•Top layer
•All that we can see and what we live on – mountains, oceans,
lakes, plains, hills, beaches
•The crust of the Earth is made up of tectonic plates that
cover the entire planet
•The tectonic plates float on top of the second layer of the
earth – the mantle
 The Mantle
•Not a solid and not really liquid it is highly viscous
•Think Silly Putty

•84% of the Earth's mass, making it the thickest layer of

the earth - 2900km thick
•500 degrees Celsius at the crust and 4,000 degrees near
the outer core. 
•That means that the coolest part of the mantle is more
than five times hotter than boiling water.  OUCH!
 The Outer Core
• About 35% of the Earth's mass
• 4440 degrees to 6100 degrees Celsius: as hot as the
sun!
• Super heated liquid like molten lava
• Mostly iron and nickel. These liquid metals are
thought to influence the Earth's magnetic field. The
magnetic field is thought to be responsible for protecting
our atmosphere from getting blown away by the Sun's
solar wind!
 The Inner Core
• Made up of the same metals as the outer core (iron and
nickel)
• Is as hot as the outer core…
• But it is solid because of the pressure!
•Think about it...the deeper you go into the center of the
earth, the more stuff is going to be pressing in on you. In
the case of the inner core, you have 81% of the Earth's mass
pressing in on you!
 Igneous Rocks
Below earth’s surface are areas of melted rock
called magma. When magma cools and
hardens, igneous rocks form.
Igneous rocks can also form from lava above earth’s
crust.
The texture of an igneous rock depends on how fast
the magma cools to form the rock.
The slower it takes to cool the more mineral grains will form. If it cools
quickly, the rock will have a smoother, glassy texture.

obsidian granite

basalt
Igneous Rocks
 Sedimentary
Rocks
These layers are made of
tiny pieces called sediments.
Some sediments are formed from
rocks or minerals.
Others are bits of plants, shells, or
other hard materials.

Sedimentary rocks are formed from sediments that are

pressed and cemented together.

It can take millions of years for sediments to become rocks!

 metamorphic
Rocks
Changed Rocks - Originally igneous or
sedimentary rocks

A metamorphic rock is a rock that is formed from other

rocks by extreme heat and pressure.

granite gneiss
The Rock Cycle