http://www.uni-mainz.de/FB/Geo/mineralogie/Earth_System_Cycles/whole%20earth.jpg

How did it get here????? Well, you

remember how the Sun formed …

The planets came about in the protostar stage. This is a protostar

Protostar The area

surrounding the soon to be Sun was filled with planet forming material that revolved around

This is known as the Accretion Disk

Cosmic Collisions Over time, the

material slams together forming the planets.

The Planets What's the

difference among the inner planets and the outer planets?

Why do you think that is so?

The Layers of Earth

The Core 1/3 the mass of

Earth Heat maintained

by insulation of outer layers

Powers all geologic activity

Inner Core Solid iron/nickel Pressure from

above causes inner core to be solid

Outer Core “Liquid hot

molten metal” Just outside of the

inner core

Mantle 2/3 the mass of

Earth Hot layer of rock

under extreme pressure

Insulates the core Transfers heat to

crust for geologic activity

Upper Mantle Asthenosphere

“weak layer” that can flow

Rock and magma mix

Behaves like putty Heat travels in

convection cells Little Jack – Meet the Fockers

GET IT

Convection As the hot mantle

material rises, it cools and sinks back down.

This rotation pulls the crust and causes it to move

This image displays the movement

Upper Mantle Continued Lithosphere

“Rock layer” floating on top

Crust rides on top of this layer

Brittle, cracks under stress

Experiences earthquakes

http://www.xenophilia.com/zb/zb0008/lithosphere.jpg

The Crust We live on it Mostly light elements Most abundant:

Oxygen 62%, Silicon 21%, make up sand

17% Al, Fe, Ni, Mg, Na, Ca Rides on lithosphere

3 types of crust Oceanic

Thin young crust Ocean floor material Dense volcanic rocks

Continental Thick, old crust Land mass Erosion made rocks