The Crust, Mantle,

and Core
Lesson 16

How would you compare the

crust, mantle, and core,
including composition,
temperature and thickness?
 How many layers are there?
Are the layers alike or different?
 What are some characteristics of
Earth’s crust, mantle and core?
• From the lowest to
highest temperature,
which is the correct order
of Earth’s layers?
• In general, how does the
density of material in
Earth’s layers change
with depth?
• In Earth’s crust, what
type of rock is found
under the oceans?
 Compare and Contrast
• Compare- How things are alike.

• Contrast- How things are different.

• Composition- What something is made of.
 The Crust, Mantle, and Core
• Earth is divided into four
layers: the crust, the
mantle, the outer core,
and the inner core.
• Each layer is made up of
different materials.
• It takes 6,380 kilometers
to get to the center of
the Earth’s inner core.
• Each layer has a
different thickness.
 Thickness of Earth’s Layers

Crust:
5-100 kilometers

Mantle:
2900 kilometers

Outer Core:
2250 kilometers

Inner Core:
1300 kilometers
 The Crust
• The crust is the thin outer layer of Earth.
• Earth’s crust is made of two layers.
• The two layers of the crust are the
continental crust and the oceanic crust.
• The continents are made of both granite
and basalt.
• The ocean floors are made of basalt.
 The Crust
• Definition: The thin and solid outermost
layer of the Earth.
• Temperature: 20⁰C - 870⁰C
• Thickness: 5 to 100 km thick
• Composition: Iron, Silicon, Magnesium,
Oxygen, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and
Aluminum.
Two Types of Crust -1. continental 2. oceanic

Oceanic crust is thinner and denser (heavy) than

continental crust
 The Mantle
• The makeup of the mantle’s rocks is similar to
that of the crust.
• The Moho boundary is located between the crust
and the mantle.
• Currents of the mantle’s molten rock can move
whole continents and ocean floors.
• Molten rock from the mantle burst through the
crust to create islands and volcanoes.
• The top layer of the mantle is liquid rock that we
call the asthenosphere.
 The Asthenosphere
Asthenosphere- The soft layer of the
mantle on which the tectonic plates move.
Composition: iron, magnesium,
silicon, oxygen
Location: in the upper mantle,
below the crust
 The Mantle
• Definition: The layer of rock between the Earth’s crust
and core.
• Temperature: 1,000⁰C - 2200⁰C
• Thickness: 2,900 km
• Composition: Iron, oxygen, magnesium, and silicon.
The mantle is more dense than the crust
• The mantle has two parts
• 1. Asthenosphere= located in the upper mantle
• 2. Mesosphere = the lower mantle
Mesosphere- The strong, lower part of the mantle
between the asthenosphere and the outer core.
 The Outer and Inner Cores
• Earth’s core is made up of
two parts: a shell called
the outer core and a
sphere called the inner
core.
• Both cores are made up
of the metals iron and
nickel.
• The outer core is liquid
metal; the inner core is
solid metal.
• Tremendous pressure
keeps the inner core a
solid.
 The Core
• Definition: The central part of the Earth below
the mantle.
• Temperature: 2200⁰C-7000⁰C
• Thickness:
– Outer Core – 2250 km
– Inner Core – 1300 km

• Composition: Mostly iron and nickel.

 Quick Check
The very top layer of Earth, found under soil
and water is which of the following:

a. upper mantle
b. crust
c. asthenosphere
d. outer core
 Quick Check
Which of the following causes the difference
between the upper mantle and lower
mantle?

a. heat
b. pressure
c. erosion
d. weathering
 Quick Check
The pressure on the inner core can be
compared to which of the following:

a. The same pressure as the pressure

around an exploding bomb.
b. The same pressure as the pressure of
a volcano erupting.
c. The same pressure as the pressure of
hurricane wind.
 Quick Check
The inner core is made of

a. liquid metal
b. liquid rock
c. solid metal
 Quick Check
The reason we have a magnetic field is due
to the:

a. gravitational pull of the sun.

b. gravitational pull of Earth.
c. movement of the inner core.
d. movement of the outer core.
 Quick Check
From the lowest to highest temperature,
which is the correct order of Earth’s
layers?

a. inner core, outer core, mantle, crust

b. mantle, crust, outer core, inner core
c. crust, mantle, outer core, inner core
d. crust, mantle, inner core, outer core
 Quick Check
In general, how does the density of material
in Earth’s layers change with depth?

a. density increases with depth

b. density decreases with depth
c. density does not change with depth
d. density increases, then decreases with
depth
 Quick Check
In Earth’s crust, what type of rock is found
under the oceans?

a. only granite
b. only basalt
c. granite on top, basalt underneath
d. basalt on top, granite underneath
 Quick Check
The thickest layer of the Earth is the

a. crust.
b. mantle.
c. outer core.
d. inner core.
 Quick Check
The Moho is the boundary between the

a. inner and outer core.

b. the outer core and the mantle.
c. the crust and the mantle.
d. the crust and the atmosphere.
 Quick Check
What is the composition of the core?

A: ______________________________

What is the composition of the asthenosphere and

where is it located?
A: ________________________________
_________________________________
_________________________________
 Quick Check
Compare the temperature of Earth’s four (4)
layers.

Crust ______________________________
Mantle _____________________________
Outer Core _________________________
Inner Core __________________________
 Quick Check

Inside the Earth, What increases with

depth?
A: ______________________________
_______________________________
_______________________________