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DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Saksham BPSC
PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

Lecture – 07
Internal Structure of
Earth

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Internal Structure of Earth

Physical Geography:-
❖ Physical geography is a branch of geography in which we learn about the process
and pattern of Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Lithosphere and Biosphere.
❖ Physical geography is classified into Atmosphere, Hydrosphere and Lithosphere.
❖ The biosphere is the thin layer of Earth where life exists. The biosphere is made up
of all living things on Earth, as well as the nonliving things that they need to
survive, such as air, water, and soil.

❖ Lithosphere:- Lithosphere is the solid part of Earth, comprising rocks and soil.
❖ Hydrosphere:- It encompasses all forms of water — ice, water, and water vapour —
and makes up a vast portion of Earth’s surface, a critical part within the spheres of
earth.
❖ Atmosphere:- The gaseous layer enveloping the Earth contains essential gases like
oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide. The atmosphere acts as a shield, providing the
air essential for life and safeguarding us from the Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays.

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Interior of the earth:-

❖ We know about the interior of the earth from various types of sources like volcanic
eruption, Meteor,seismic waves, drilling etc.
❖ The earth is made up of three different layers: the crust, the mantle and the core.
➢ Crust:-
✓ Comprising less than 1% of Earth’s total mass, the crust encompasses the
oceanic crust and continental crust. The continental crust typically consists
of rock, while the oceanic crust is denser.
✓ Major constituent elements of crust are Silica (Si) and Aluminium (Al) and
thus, it is often termed as SIAL.
➢ Mantle:-
✓ Representing approximately 68% of the Earth’s mass, the mantle is a hot
layer beneath the crust.
✓ The major constituent elements of the mantle are Silicon and Magnesium
and hence it is also termed as SIMA.
➢ Core:-
✓ Constituting about 31% of Earth’s total mass, the core is primarily
composed of iron metal. It can be distinguished into the outer core and
inner core, with the outer core being molten and the inner core remaining
solid due to immense pressure.
✓ It is composed mainly of iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) and hence it is also called
NIFE.
❖ Density:-
➢ Due to the increase in pressure and presence of heavier materials like Nickel and
Iron towards the centre, the density of earth’s layers also increases towards the
centre.
➢ Average density of earth is 5.5g/cm3, while it the density of the materials in
the crust is 3g/cm3
❖ Temperature:-
➢ Temperature and pressure increase with depth in the interior of the Earth’s
from surface to the interior.
➢ The rate of increase of temperature is at an average rate of 1 degree C for
every 32m increase in depth.

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Crust:-
❖ Comprising less than 1% of Earth’s total mass, the crust encompasses the oceanic
crust and continental crust.
❖ Thickness Variations: The thickness of the Earth’s crust is not uniform. On average,
the oceanic crust measures about 5 kilometres in thickness, while the continental
crust is substantially thicker, with an average thickness of approximately 30
kilometres.
❖ Density and Composition:- Continental crust is composed of denser rocks, primarily
granite, and exhibits a density of approximately 2.7 grams per cubic centimetre
(g/cm³). Oceanic crust primarily consists of basalt rock, characterised by a mean
density of about 3 g/cm³.

❖ The Earth is made up of following:-

Layer Thickness Other features

Oceanic 5 km and 3 Outermost solid part of the earth. The oceanic

Crust g/cm3 crust is thinner as compared to continental crust.

Continental 30 Km and 2.7 Continental crust is composed of denser rocks,

crust g/cm3 primarily granite.

Mantle 2900 km and The upper portion of the mantle is called the
3.4 g/cm3 asthenosphere and extends up to 400 km. The
crust and uppermost part of the Mantle are called
lithosphere.

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Core 6300 km and The earthquake wave velocities helped in

13 g/cm3 understanding the existence of the core of the
earth. The core is made up of very heavy material
mostly composed of nickel and iron.

Seismic waves:-
❖ Focus (Hypocentre): The point within the Earth where the energy release occurs is
known as the focus of an earthquake.
❖ Epicentre: This is the point on the Earth’s surface closest to the focus, and it is the
first location to experience the seismic waves.
❖ Earthquake waves come in two primary categories: body waves and surface waves.
❖ Body Waves:-
➢ P-Waves (Primary Waves): P-waves, or primary waves, travel the fastest and
are the first to reach the surface. Similar to sound waves, P-waves can traverse
gaseous, liquid, and solid materials.
➢ S-Waves (Secondary Waves): S-waves, or secondary waves, reach the surface
with some delay. They can exclusively propagate through solid materials, a
characteristic that has significantly contributed to our understanding of the
Earth’s interior.
❖ Earthquake waves are recorded by seismographs located at various distances from
the epicentre. However, there are specific regions where seismic waves are not
detected. These areas are termed “shadow zones.”

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Discontinuities of the Earth Layers:-

❖ The interiors of the earth are made of different kinds of elements that differ from
each other in physical and chemical properties like temperature, density,
composition, etc. The interiors of the earth are divided into separate layers.
❖ Conrad Discontinuity: The Conrad Discontinuity separates the upper and lower
crust.
❖ Mohorovicic Discontinuity: This is the transition zone between the crust and the
mantle.
❖ Repetti Discontinuity: This separates the upper mantle from the lower mantle.
❖ Gutenberg Discontinuity: This is the transition zone between the lower mantle and
the outer core.
❖ Lehmann Discontinuity: This is the layer separating the outer core from the inner
core.

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Saksham BPSC