EARTH’S

INTERNAL
STRUCTURE
OBJECTIVE:

Describe the internal structure of the Earth

The composition of the Earth’s interior

The Earth is
composed of
three
Main layers:
Crust, Mantle
and
Core.
 THE CRUST
- the thinnest and outermost layer of the Earth where
all organisms live.
- it makes up the 1% of the Earth’s volume.
- It is made up of the CONTINENTS and OCEAN FLOOR.
- it is ≈ 7 km thick under the ocean ( Oceanic
Crust) and around 30-80 km thick underneath the
continents ( Continental Crust ).
2 REGIONS:
1. CONTINENTAL CRUST
- is made up of Silicon,
Oxygen, Aluminum, Calcium,
Sodium and Potassium.
- it is found under land
masses, is made of less
dense rocks such as GRANITE.
2. OCEANIC CRUST
- found under the
ocean floor
- made of dense
rocks such as BASALT
- heavier than the
continental crust.
THE CRUST’s REGIONS:
 THE MANTLE
- the thickest layer of the Earth. It is around 2 900 km thick.
- It makes up about 80% of the Earth’s total volume and about 68%
of its total mass.
- mainly made up of Silicate rocks.
- mostly made of the elements Silicon, Oxygen, Iron and
Magnesium.
- it is subdivided into sublayers: the upper mantle and the lower
mantle.
-it is made up of hot molten rocks called
MAGMA.
- This layer is hotter than the crust
because of the continuous cooling and
heating of rocks in the mantle,
movements known as CONVECTION
CURRENTS flow within the mantle. -
Sometimes, magma finds a way out of
the mantle and escapes to the crust. It
reaches Earth’s surface through
openings or cracks. These openings or
deep cracks called volcanic fissures
are created by pressure from
underground. Magma that reaches the
Earth’s surface is called LAVA.
UPPER MANTLE
- The upper mantle and the entire crust make
up Earth’s Lithosphere.
- The lithosphere is around 100 km deep in
several areas and is broken into several large
and thick masses of rocks layers that are
constantly moving. These rock layers are called
Tectonic Plates or plates.
 UPPER MANTLE

Beneath the lithosphere is the

ASTHENOSPHERE, a region
in the upper mantle consisting
of low- density, semi plastic rock
materials that can flow like liquid .
It extends from about 100 km to
700 km below Earth’s surface.
This layer is weak and easily deformed,
allowing the tectonic plates in the lithosphere
to move around on Earth’s surface.
PLASTICITY- is the ability of the
asthenosphere to flow slowly
The HIGH temperature and pressure in
the mantle allows the solid rock to flow
slowly.
UPPER MANTLE
Below this low-velocity zone is a transition
zone in the upper mantle; it contains two
discontinuities caused by changes from less
dense to more dense minerals. The chemical
composition and crystal forms of these minerals
have been identified by laboratory experiments
at high pressure and temperature.
LOWER MANTLE
- The lower mantle, below the transition zone, is made
up of relatively simple Iron and Magnesium Silicate
minerals, which will change gradually with depth to
very dense forms. Going from mantle to core, there is
a marked decrease ( about 30% ) in earthquake
wave velocity and a marked increase
( about 30% ) in density.
- Lower mantle is DENSER than the upper mantle.
THE CORE
It was the first internal
structural element to be
identified. It was
discovered in 1906 by

CORE R.D. OLDHAM from his

study of earthquake
records and it helped to
explain Newton’s
calculation of the Earth’s
density
- its temperature reaches
to about 5 000⁰ C.
It is subdivided into

two layers:
OUTER CORE

INNER CORE
OUTER CORE
- is presumed to be liquid because it does
not transmit shear ( S ) waves and
because the velocity of compressional ( P
) waves that pass through it is sharply
reduced.
- it is mainly made up of Iron and Nickel
moving around the solid inner core,
creating Earth’s Magnetism.
- the temperature reaches up to 2000⁰C
INNER CORE
- The inner core is made up of solid Iron and
Nickel and has a radius of 1 300 km.
- Its temperature reaches to about 5 000⁰C.
- The extreme temperature could have molten the
Iron and Nickel but it is believed to have solidified
as a result of pressure freezing, which is
common to liquids subjected under tremendous
pressure.
- it is considered to be solid, because of the
behaviour of P and S waves passing through it.
This is the Earth….
This is our planet…
Let us protect and
nurture her for all
mankind.
THANK YOU!
P R E PA R E D B Y:
MARI-ANN M. MANGUERRA
TEACHER III