LESSON 4: INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH - The crust is the outermost chemical

layer, and the layer humans currently

reside on.
Earth Internal Structure - Two types of crust are the continental
(lower density) and oceanic crust (higher
- The structure of the earth is divided into density).
four major components: the crust, the - In the lower part of the crust, rocks start
mantle, the outer core, and the inner to be more ductile and less brittle
core. Each layer has a unique chemical because of added heat. Earthquakes,
composition, physical state, and can therefore, generally occur in the upper
impact life on Earth's surface. (National crust.
Geographic Society)
Mantle

- is the mostly-solid bulk of Earth’s

interior
- composed of iron, aluminum, calcium,
magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. 80% of
the Earth’s mass is fixated on mantle
and most of the internal heat of the
planet is located in this layer.
- This is where the magma chamber that
Convection currents drives the volcanic processes lies within
- is the process by which the energy - The temperature inside this layer is
travels upward from the hot lower about 3,700°C.
mantle to the cooler upper mantle. - Always remember the temperature is
- This is due to their density wherein the different at different depths.
lighter or less dense material which is - The mantle is divided into two zones:
warm or hot rises while the heavier or upper and lower mantle
more dense which is cold material sinks. • Upper mantle - is a highly
viscous layer which lies between
the crust.
• Lower mantle -extends from
under the upper mantle to 2,200
km. Rocks located in the upper
mantle are cooler and rigid
enough to break under stress
while rocks in the lower mantle
are hot and soft.

Crust
 - The outer core is the only layer of Earth
that is liquid
- Made up of molten nickel and iron.
- about 2270- km thick and has a
temperature that ranges from 3700°C to
4300°C

MAPPING THE INNER EARTH

SEISMOMETERS

- is the internal part of the seismograph,

which may be a pendulum or a mass
Mohorovičić Discontinuity mounted on a spring; however, it is
- is the interface between the crust and often used synonymously with
the upper mantle "seismograph".
- Discovered by Andrija Mohorovičić in - Detects Seismic Waves
1909 by studying earthquake wave paths TWO TYPES OF SEISMIC WAVES
in his native of Croatia.
Body Waves
Gutenberg Discontinuity
- Travels through the inner layers of the
- Marks the boundary between the lower planet.
mantle and the outer core.
- This discontinuity was identified by Surface Waves
Weichert Gutenberg in 1912 at a depth - surface waves can only move along the
of 2900 kilometers beneath the earth's surface of the planet like ripples on
surface. water.
Lehmann Discontinuity TWO TYPES OF BODY WAVES
- Located between the liquid outer core
and the solid inner core.
- The Lehmann discontinuity is at the
depth of 5,100 km , discovered by
seismologist Inge Lehmann.

Inner Core

- The inner core is extremely hot

- temperature is recently estimated to be
about 6000°C
- The inner core has the diameter of about
1220 km and composed mostly solid
iron. Primary Waves or P Waves

Outer Core
 - are the first to be felt by the earth.
- The travel at the speed between 1.5 and
8 kilometers per second.
- are compressional waves
- pass through solid and liquid sections of
the Earth but refracts and bend as they
pass through liquids.

Secondary Waves or S Waves

- are transverse waves

- felt in a up- and - down motion
perpendicular to the direction of the
waves
- Do not travel in LIQUIDS
- S waves travel about 60 to 70 percent
more slowly than the P waves