PRETEST

1. The Earth’s crust is the upper layer of the lithosphere.

What would you expect to find there?

a. Mantle and Core c. Layers of the Atmosphere

b. Variety of Solid Rocks d. Variety of Gaseous Particles

2. What makes up the Earth’s lithosphere?

a. Crust and Core c. Crust and Upper Mantle

b. Crust and Lower Mantle d. Oceanic & Continental Crust

3. Which of these is TRUE about
lithospheric plates?
a. vary in thickness

b. thickest in the ocean floor

c. Include the crust and the core

d. have the same densities everywhere

4. How will you differentiate continental crust from oceanic crust
based on their thickness and density?

a. Continental crust is much thicker and denser than the

oceanic crust.
b. Continental crust is thicker and less dense compared to
oceanic crust.
c. Oceanic crust is thinner and less dense than the
continental crust.
d. Both continental crust and oceanic crust have the same
thickness and density.
5. One of the environmental problems that we
experience right now is the destruction of the earth’s
crust, what do you think are the causes of this
destruction?

a. mining c. Improper waste disposal

b. quarrying d. all the above

 REVIEW

Raise TRUE if the statement is

correct; if FALSE, replace the
underlined word to make it
correct.
1. The crust is made up of a variety of solid rocks. TRUE

2. A seismologist is a scientist who studies the solid,

liquid, and gaseous matter that constitutes the earth and
other terrestrial planets, as well as the processes that
shape them. TRUE

3. The earth is composed of the three major layers: the

crust, the mantle, and the plates. FALSE / CORE
4. The inner core is made up of solid iron and nickel and
has a radius of 1300 kilometers. TRUE

5. Surface waves from earthquakes are used to analyze the

composition and internal structure of the earth.
FALSE / BODY WAVES
THE EARTH’S
LITHOSPHERE
Lesson 1
Science 10
Let’s Discuss!

Crust

Mantle Inner Core

Outer Core

•
 Other Layers of the Earth
Lithosphere Asthenosphere
Lithosphere
• It is the hard shell of the Earth,
consisting of the crust and the
topmost part of the upper mantle.

• It is an average of 100km thick.

• It contains the minerals, rocks and

soils that humans have used for
building materials, metals and
agriculture.
Asthenosphere

• Located in upper mantle.

• It is a soft, weak layer that

facilitates a small amount of
melting and making it
capable of flowing.

• It facilitates the movement

of the lithospheric plates.
 The Earth’s Crust
• The upper layer of the lithosphere.

• It made up of different kinds of

rocks like; igneous, sedimentary,
and metamorphic.

• Its thickness varies depending on

its location: thickest in the
mountain regions and thinnest
along the ocean floor.
 The Earth’s Crust
• It composed mainly of two basic rock
types: basaltic and granitic.

• It has an approximate thickness ranging

from 5 to 50 km and has an average
density of 2.8 g/cm3.

• Has a depth of about 32 to 40 km.

• The earth’s crust is always changing.

 The Earth’s Crust

• There is the formation of the

geological features such as
mountains, volcanoes, trenches,
rift valleys, oceanic ridges, fault
systems and even occurrences of
geologic event such as earthquake
and formation of tsunamis
 Kinds of Crust

Continental Crust Oceanic Crust

Physical and Chemical Properties
of Continental Crust
 Less dense than oceanic crust

 Made up mostly of granite.

30 to 50 km thick (20-30 miles)

 Older than oceanic crust

This layer is known as the SIAL (Silicon

and Aluminum).
Physical and Chemical Properties
of Continental Crust
 It formed through a volcanic eruption.

 About 40% of the earth’s surface is

now underlain by continental crust

 is the layer of the igneous, sedimentary,

and metamorphic rocks that forms the
landmasses and the areas of shallow
seabed close to the shore called the
continental shelves.
 Physical and Chemical Properties
of Oceanic Crust
 It denser than continental crust.

 Made up mostly of basalt rocks.

 5 to 10 km thick (3-6 miles)

It is newer (Younger than

continental crust)
 Physical and Chemical Properties
of Oceanic Crust

 It primarily of volcanic lava rock

called basalt making it denser as
compared to continental crust.

 It is called SIMA (Silicon and

Magnesium)
 Physical and Chemical Properties
of Oceanic Crust
 It is formed by magma when a
volcanic eruption occurs
underwater.

 It has a limited lifespan because

when it encounters continental
crust, it is pushed down due to the
subduction process.
Plate size can vary greatly
from hundreds to
thousands or millions of
kilometers.
 Also known as the
Lithospheric plates – is a
massive irregular slab for
solid rocks that are
generally composed of
both continental and
oceanic lithospheres.
Plate size can vary greatly
from hundreds to thousands
or millions of kilometers.
Earthquakes and
volcanoes are the direct
results of the movement of
tectonic plates at fault
lines.

It is free-floating and can

move independently.