3: Earth’s Interior
- Page ID
- 29081
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)- Explain the variations in the composition and characteristics of Earth’s different layers.
- Explain how seismic data can be used to understand the structure of Earth’s interior.
- Describe the temperature variations within Earth and their implications for internal processes such as mantle convection.
- Explain the origins of Earth’s magnetic field and the timing of magnetic field reversals.
- Describe the isostatic relationship between the crust and the mantle, and the implications of that relationship for geological processes on Earth
- 3.1: Earth’s Layers- Crust, Mantle, and Core
- This page describes Earth's structure, comprising three main layers: the crust (continental and oceanic), the mantle, and the core. The crust is 1.4% of Earth's volume, while the mantle accounts for 82.5% and is solid yet flows slowly. The lithosphere includes the crust and upper mantle, while the asthenosphere beneath facilitates tectonic movements. The core, mainly iron, is extremely hot, with a liquid outer layer and a solid inner layer due to high pressure.
- 3.2: Imaging Earth’s Interior
- This page covers seismology, focusing on the study of Earth's vibrations to detect earthquakes and analyze various sources. It explains the nature of seismic waves, differences between P-waves and S-waves, and significant discoveries like the Moho and the liquid outer core. Additionally, it introduces the Atlas of the Underworld and the HADES Underworld Explorer, offering tools for creating tomographic cross-sections.
- 3.3: Earth’s Interior Heat
- This page explores Earth's internal heat, with temperatures ranging from 1000°C at the crust to over 6000°C at the core, arising from formation processes and radioactive decay. It discusses the geothermal gradient's impact on mantle rocks and the efficiency of mantle convection in heat transfer, crucial for plate tectonics. The page also highlights various models of mantle convection and the ongoing debates among geologists about these convective processes.
- 3.4: Earth’s Magnetic Field
- This page explains how Earth's liquid outer core generates a magnetic field through the convection of molten iron, influenced by the solid inner core's heat. It details the magnetic field's north and south poles, its instability, and the occurrence of polarity reversals over the last 250 million years, attributed to chaotic convection patterns in the inner and outer core.
- 3.5: Isostasy
- This page discusses the behavior of tectonic plates on the mantle due to isostasy, where gravitational forces and buoyancy achieve balance. It explains fluctuations in elevation, including mountain sinking and rebounding due to weight changes and erosion, as well as glacial rebound following ice melting. Regions once covered by ice experience uplift, while adjacent areas undergo subsidence.
- 3.6: Chapter 3 Summary and Key Term Check
- This page provides an overview of Earth's internal structure, detailing its layered composition (lithosphere, asthenosphere, core) and the insights gained from seismic waves. It discusses temperature gradients, mantle convection, and the generation of Earth's magnetic field, including its changing polarity. The concept of isostasy is introduced, explaining the relationship between the densities of the lithosphere and mantle.