Geology for Civil Engineer

Lecture 2: Planet earth and its

surroundings
Chapter contents
Ardhi University 1) The Solar System
School of Architecture, 2) The Planet Earth
Construction Economics 3) The Age of the Earth
and Management (SACEM) 4) The Internal Structure of the
Earth
5) The Theory of Plate Tectonics
6) Continental Drift
7) Sea floor spreading
1 Dr. John E. Elvis 8) Geological Time Scale
1.The Solar System

 Earth is part of the solar system.

 Solar system consists of:
– The sun.
– Nine planets.
– Over five dozen moons.
– Vast numbers of asteroids.
 1: The solar system

Planets

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 1: The solar system
Mercury – Venus – Earth - Mars
These planets formed at higher temperatures than the outer
planets and are therefore formed from heavier elements.
Earths composition
Bulk Crust
Fe 35 6
O 30 46
Si 15 28
Mg 13 4
Ni 2.4 <1
S 1.9 <1
Al 1.1 8
K <1 2.3
Na <1 2.1
Ca 1.1 2.4
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 Components of the earth
• The Earth is made up of a series of layers with
heavier material gravitated toward the centre
(dense, solid, inner core of iron) and lighter material
floated to the surface (a liquid, iron, outer core).
• The lower mantle consists of molten rock, which is
surrounded by partially molten rock in the
asthenosphere and solid rock in the upper mantle
and crust.
• Lighter elements, such as silicon, aluminium,
calcium, potassium, sodium, and oxygen, compose
the outer crust.
Components of the earth
 The Earth’s Interior
Planet Earth has three main parts:
 Core - the densest part at the center (metallic iron,
nickel)
 Mantle - Region surrounding the heavy core.
Consists of upper mantle (solid) and the lower
mantle (semi-solid) and can flow. It is the focus of
most earthquakes.
 Crust - Surrounding the mantle lies the thinnest
and outermost layer of the earth (thickness 30 to
40 Km in continents and 5 to 6 Km in the oceans)
 The Earth’s Interior
 The crust is not uniform.

 The oceanic crust on average is about 8

km thick.

 The continental crust on average is about

45 km thick.
 Mechanical Zones Compositional Zones

Lithosphere

Asthenosphere Crust
Lesson 1

Mantle
Mesosphere

Liquid Core
Outer
Core

Campbell CLB: MS Office 2007 Companion

 Density Composition Zones
Low density crust is underlain by higher density
mantle which is underlain by higher density core.
Thickness Density (gcm-3)
continental 30-70 km 2.9
oceanic 8 km 3.5
Mantle 2850 km 3.8 - 5.7
Core 3520 km 10.0-13.0

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 Mechanical Zones
Lithosphere 100-200 km Cool strong rocks
including uppermost part of mantle and crust. Two
types oceanic and continental. Continental lithosphere
is 200 km thick. Oceanic lithosphere is 100km thick.
Asthenosphere (upper mantle) 70-350km weak rock
close to melting Temperature.
Mesosphere (Lower Mantle) 350-2900km solid
Outer core 2900-4980km - liquid iron, very fluid,
source of magnetism
Inner core 4980-6370km - mainly metallic iron and
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some nickel
 Temperature Gradients
Temperature increases with depth. The rate of
increase is known as the Geothermal Gradient –from
5-75°C/km
Temperature at base of

oceanic lithosphere
1300°C Þ average geothermal gradient 13°C/km
continental lithosphere 1350°C Þ average
geothermal gradient 6.7 °C/km

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 Theory of plate tectonics
 The term used to denote the process involved in the
movements and interactions of the plates
(“tectonic” is derived from Greek “tekton”,
meaning a builder).
 In this theory, Earth’s surface is divided into large,
thick, rigid plates that are slowly moving relative to
each other, and changing in size.

 The results of this process is earthquakes,

volcanoes, mountain belts, deep ocean trenches,
and mid-oceanic ridges.
 Earth planet tectonic plates

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 Earth planet tectonic plates

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 Formation of oceanic ridge
An oceanic ridge develops on the ocean floor where the
boundaries of tectonic plates meet. Molten rock is forced up at
these boundaries and pushes the oceanic crust up and outward,
creating the ridge.

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Geothermal and Pressure Gradients

Geothermal Gradients
15-40°C/km

Surface heat flux

0.1 W/m2
Lesson 1

Lithostatic Pressure
gradient 0.3 kbars/km

Hydrostatic Pressure
Campbell CLB: gradient
MS Office 2007 Companion
0.1 kbars/km