Earth's Layers
How many compositional layers does Earth have?
3
What are the 2 forms of evidence in learning about Earth's layers?
Earth's core is made of these two elements
iron and nickel
The bending of a wave
refraction
The most dense type of crust
oceanic
How many physical layers does Earth have?
5
A large piece of Earth's lithosphere that moves atop the mantle.
tectonic plate
This is made of the crust and upper mantle
the lithosphere
a wave hits an object and bounces back at an angle
reflection
What happens to light waves as they enter the Earth's atmosphere?
they slow down
What is Earth's thinnest compositional layer?
crust
Waves produced by earthquakes that help us study the inner layers of Earth
seismic waves
This layer is semi solid and moves like taffy
asthenosphere (middle mantle)
the uppermost part of the transverse wave
crest
type of investigation that requires a control group
experimental
What is Earth's thickest layer?
mantle
These collide with Earth and provide evidence of Earth's inner composition.
meteorites
Movement of this layer is thought to create Earth's magnetic field
outer core
the state of matter through which a longitudinal wave moves fastest
solid
Formula for density
mass / volume
What are the 5 layers of Earth from the outermost layer to the innermost layer?
lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesosphere (lower mantle), outer core, inner core
Geologists concluded that the outer core was liquid because which waves could not travel through it?
S waves
The densest hottest layer of Earth's interior
inner core
A cycle of heating, rising, cooling, and sinking magma.
convection currents
taxonomic group with organisms that have the most in common
species