Interior of Earth

SOURCES TO KNOW ABOUT INTERIOR OF EARTH

studying the volcanic

rocks

meteorites
MINNING

rock drilling for oil is barely around

rocks
10 to 15 KM
and mining within 2 to 3 KM
Volcanic

[ Gold mine - South

Africa = 3 to 4km
project under work :-
deep ocean drilling project
integrated ocean drilling project
deepest drill at KOLA -
Arctic Ocean =12 km

maximum @ POLE
Gravitational force

Minimum @ equator
seismic waves

[ distance from center at

equator is more as
compared to pole ]
gravity also differ according
to mass of material - study of
gravity at different places can
help knowing the material
distribution .
Interior of the earth www.parchamclasses.in

While studying about the structure of earth interior we focus on three things :-
❑ arrangement ( layers )
❑ Composition(*rock and minerals )
❑ properties of earth inside (chemical properties and physical
properties )

initial idea
➢ -3 layers (older idea )which include core, mantle and crust.
earth is layered ( stratified ) and NOT a single rock
❑ Core =NIFE= nickel and iron= densest layer
❑ mental =SIMA =silicon and magnesium
❑ crust =SIAL = silicon and aluminum =lightest layer
➢ Modern version
Says internal structure can be studied in two ways :-
❑ in terms of chemical composition ( rock and minerals ) and associated properties .
❑ in terms of physical properties related to rigidity (mechanical layering )
Interior of the earth www.parchamclasses.in

Crust
• Outermost
• thickness varies
• Ocean is NOT extension of continent made of two
types of compositions :-

Broadly interior of earth and made up of igneous rocks and some metamorphic rocks also . Igneous rocks inside are
of two types :-
• basalt (low density and soft )
• Peridotite *(dense and heavy )
• as we move outward the upper layer are made up of more granite
rocks (found near crust ]
• intrusive rocks =granite= not found outside but near crust
• extrusive rocks =basalt found outside

MANTLE
❑ almost 80% of earths volume
❑ 60 to 65% = earths mass
❑ extend - base of crust to depth of
2900 km from surface .
❑ Three different layers broadly- UPPER, MIDDLE, LOWER
❑ Rocks are peridotite and its variant with

❑ depth density of mental rock will increase

Core
OUTER INNER
2900- 4300 KM 4300- 6400 KM
D = 11 D= 13
PLASMA STATE SOLID STATE
IRON + NICKEL IRON + NICKEL + SILLICATE
Interior of the earth www.parchamclasses.in

Modern idea about earth interior in term of physical properties(mechanical strength )

❑ LITHOSPHERE
✓ Cold, hard and brittle
✓ 100km
✓ crust and upper part of upper mantle
✓ not a continuous layer
✓ it is broken into segments called plates
✓ lithospheric plates float over asthenosphere
✓ older idea =continent floats over ocean is incorrect
✓ modern idea (tecktonic idea )-lithosphere plates include both
ocean and continent floats over the asthenosphere
✓ Olivine is dense - silicate mineral ,solid , but under stress -
starts to flow(semi-molten )
✓ Lithosphere is semi molten and floats over asthenosphere .
❑ ASTHENOSPHERE
Remaning lower part of upper mantle .
❑ MESOSPHERE- middle and lower mantle
❑ BARYSPHERE- core