I1 STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH

Structure of
the Earth
Our planet Earth is more than 5,000 million years ol

and is still in the process of changing.

In one year the Atlantic Ocean widens by 10 cm whil.
the Pacific Ocean is shrinking as the continents move
slowly across the globe.
The Red Sea is in 'its infancy. In 60 million years time
it will be as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. Africa and
Asia may split apart as a result of the Mediterranean

merging with the Atlantic Ocean.

Layers of the Earth

The Earth comprises three main realms or regions-the
Lithosphere which is the solid, inorganic section, the
Hydrosphere 'which is the liquid section and finall
the Atmosphere or gaseous section.

(The thin outermost layer, the Earth's crust, averages

about 17 km in thickness throughout and is referec
to as the mineral skin.lt is made up of the continents
and oceans and from it emanates the soil, sediment
salt, gases, liquid and all components of the Earth in
its widest connotation. The crust consists mainly ot two
types of rocks-granite and basalt.

The composite zone inhabited by most living creature

is called Biosphere. It includes a part of the atmosphere
the hydrosphere and a part of the lithosphere. All three
layers are essential for life to exist.

- Lithosphere

Atmosphere
Biosphere

Hydrosphere

Fig 4.1. Biosphere

 STRUCTURE OF THF EARTH

The Earth is primarily made of rocks, metals The crust is subdivided into two distinct
and water. Its surface is solid but its interior is
parts
according to its composition.
composed of molten matter due to the intense heat
1. SIAL: The topmost
it experiences.
layer consists of granitic
The temperature within the Earth increases with rocks which on an average, forms the first 25
km of the crust and is
depth at the rate of 1°C for every 32 m depth, lighter, having an average
giving an average temperature of 5000°C at the density of 2.7. gm/cm3. This layer consists
of the Earth. In
of silicates and aluminium and other
centre spite of its molten interior, lighter
firm and solid due to the great metals. This layer is called the Sial
the Earth is
pressure (Si-silicate:
of the lithosphere. Al-aluminium). The Sial layer is thick over the
continents but is thin absent on the ocean
or
An idea of the interior structure of the Earth has
floors, (Fig. 4.2) especially the Pacific Ocean.
been obtained from a study of
earthquake waves.
The Earth consists of three 2. SIMA: Below thhe Sial
major concentric layers. layer is a denser layer on
These called the Crust, the Mantle and the Core
are an
average 35 km which consists
of the Earth (Fig. 4.1). The of silicates of predominantly
density, temperature aand magnesium, iron and other denser
pressure of these layers increase with depth. metals. It is a continuous zone of basaltic
rocks
The chemical composition and physical state of
forming the ocean floors. This is called the Sima
matter inside the Earth is of
great concern for the
(Si-silicate; Ma-magnesium) layer. The Sima
study of landforms on the surface of the Earth. layer has an average density of about 3.0
cm'. gm/
The outermost layer, Lithosphere or Crust of the
Earth, which consists of a thin layer with an
average
thickness of about 60 km forms less than 1% of the Though these two layers are in a solid
state, the
radius of the Earth. lighter Sial is considered as 'floating' on the denser
Sima layer. This
arrangement of Sial floating on
Sima forms the basis of
Drift Theory' and the
Wegner's 'Continental
Upper manlle. super continent Pangaea.
Crust (The composition of the crustal layer is of
interest because we get most of our great
Lower mantle.
minerals from
the Crust of the Earth. It also
Outer core has the valuable soil
Inner core.
layer which is essential for the growth of both
cultivated and wild
of the Earth's crust plantsThe
physical features
influence land use and other
human activities. The
density of human population
also depends on the nature of the
relief features in
an area.

Continent
Fig. 4.2 Inner structure of the Earth

Lithosphere or the Earth's Crust Sea level

Sial
The word
is
'Lithosphere' 'rocksphere'
means and
derived from the
Latin word 'Lithos' meaning
'rocks' or 'stones') The
Earth's crust
about 17 km thick, the averaging
mineral skin as it is referred
to, is the most
significant part of the Earth's surface Fig. 4.3 Sima and Sial
layer
 STRUCTURE OF THE EAKTH

AFRICA ARABIA Sialic Continents

Crust of

Mantle
aOcean INDÍ Basaltic plates (Sima)

Liquid ultrabasic rocks

o

Outer core
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
(one of the zones where new
basaltic rocks are formed) Very dense rocks
Inner Core (mainly nickel and iron)

The Gutenburg Discontinuity

where some earthquake waves The Moho
Discontinuity where
are absorbed earthquake waves change speed

The Oceans form the

HYDROSPHERE
1EXICO tdh
Pacitic OC

Fig. 4.4 Interior of the Earth

Mantle or Mesosphere
The Mantle of the Earth lies below the
The crust om
boundary between the crust and the Mantle
is called the
the Earth. The Mantle has an
average thickness o
Moho or Mohorovicic about 2,840 km. It consists of mixed
density of 3.3 Discontinuity silicates and=
this and the
gm/cm3
and the density between metals (magnesium and iron) and is rich in
olivine
Gutenberg
between the mantle and the Discontinuity
(boundary The density of the Mantle itself varies
between 3.
The Moho or the core) is 3.7 gm/cm°. gm/cm and 5.5 gm/cm".
Mohorovicic Layer was named
after the
Yugoslav scientist, Andriya Mohorovicic The Upper Mantle or Asthenosphere
who discovered it. The
was named after the German
Gutenberg Discontinuity The Upper Mantle or
Asthenosphere is in a partially
Beno Gutenberg. seismologist named molten state. The of the velocity
earthquake waves
decreases in it and hence it is referred to as
the
lower velocity zones'. The Lower
Mantle is called
Hydrosphere the Mesosphere.
Atmosphere
Though the temperature of this
layer is quite high
the average
Sial.
temperature in this layer ranges between
-

SIMA 850°C in the upper

(density
(density
region and 2208°C in the lowest
2.7)
3.0) region. However, the hot rocks rising from the interior
of the Earth often melt in the
Lithosphere or lowest depths forming
molten magma. The
Moho or
Crust (density
3.0)
high pressure of the overlying
Mohorovicic
Discontinuity
layers keeps this layer in a solid state.
- Mesosphere or
Mantle (density 3.0 Core of the Earth or
to 5.5; thickness Barysphere
2,840 kmn) The density of the core is 13.0
Key
It is a g/cm in the centre
XXX: There is compound alloys of carbon, iron or silicon-
of
more iron content Due to the high
in the mesosphere
near the core. Barysphere, Core or Nife found in molten
temperature nickel and iron aree
(density 12 to 15; radius stage. The liquid iron generates-
its own
3,500 km)
electricity, and so under pressure, the core-
is the source of the Earth's
Fig. 4.5 Layers of the Earth magnetic
field.

32
 EARII
STRI TURE OI TH

According to some scientists, at the centre of the estimated to have a temperature of about 5,000°C.
Earth there is a nucleus of high density atoms that The metallic core and the abundance of iron also
descended from the atoms that were the beginning the core is
explains the Earth's magnetism. Usually
divided into inner and outer core. The outer core
of our Solar System.
behaves like liquid and does not allow earthquake
The Core of the Earth has a radius of about 3,500
waves to pass through it.
km. It consists mostly of metals. As nickel and iron
The greatest depth reached by human beings into
are the two most abundant metals, the core is called
the Earth's crust is 8 km, when drilling for oil- not
Nife (Ni-nickel; Fe-iron). The of the core is
density even a thousandth part of the distance from the
between 13 g/cm' to 15 g/cm. This dense layer is
also called the Barysphere. The core of the Earth is centre of the Earth.

Exercises

. Answer the following questions briefly:

1. What do you mean by the crust of the Earth?
2. Why is the Lithosphere also known as the 'Mineral Skin'?

3 Describe the interior structure of the earth.

4. What forms the basis of Wegener's 'Continental Drift Theory'?
is the composition of the crustal layer of earth of great interest?
5. Why
6. What is the Mohorovicic Discontinuity?
7. State the composition of the Sial layer.
8. What does the Sima layer consist of? Where is it located?
9. Distinguish between the Sima and Sial layer.

10. Which are the two most abundant chemical elements in the Earth's crust?
11. Describe the mantle of the Earth.

12. State the properties of the core of the Earth.

II. Define the following

1. Crust

2. Mantle
3. Core
4. Biosphere
5. Asthenosphere

Activities

Mark the various layers of the Earth in the given figure.