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Physical Characteristics Of Earth
The Earth consists of several atmospheric, hydrologic,
and mainly geologic layers. Its components are
the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the crust, the
mantle, and its core. The biosphere is a tiny
layer in this composition and is usually not considered
part of the physical layers of the Earth.
The geologic component layers of the Earth are
located at the following depths below surface:
X
0 to 60 km - Lithosphere (locally varies between
5 and 200 km)
X
0 to 35 km - Crust (locally varies between 5 and
70 km)
X
35 to 60 km - Uppermost part of mantle
X
35 to 2890 km - Mantle
X
100 to 700 km - Asthenosphere
X
2890 to 5100 km - Outer Core
X
5100 to 6378 km - Inner Core
The earth has four layers: the crust, mantle,
inner core, and outer core. The lithosphere
is the crust and the upper part of the mantle.
The inner core is a solid layer. Earthquakes
start at the lithosphere. The crust is a thin
rocky skin. The thinnest part of the crust
is under the ocean. The ocean floor is heavy,
dense rock and the land is lighter, less dense
rock. The upper part of the mantle is cooler
than the deep mantle. The deep mantle is very
hot because it rides on top of the extremely
hot outer core and so it causes the mantle
and crust to slowly move.The mantle is made
of many different rocky materials. |
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Also see
vEarth
in the Solar System
vEarths
Moon
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