- The 3 layers of the Earth
- 1- Earth's crust
- Continental crust
- Ocean crust
- 2- Mantle
- 3- Core
- External nucleus
- Inner core
- References
It is estimated that the depth of the Earth is between 6000 and 6400 kilometers from the Earth's crust to the core, which is the central part that makes up the Earth inside.
The crust is the outer layer of the Earth, made up mainly of rocks and sediments, while the core is the central part that makes up the Earth inside. The latter is made up of iron, nickel and sulfur.
The inner core is the central and deepest point of the Earth: it has a temperature that exceeds 5000 ° C.
It should be noted that the pressures are so high that they keep the core in a solid state in its innermost part.
The 3 layers of the Earth
The Earth is made up of three large layers, ranging from the lightest layer made up of oxygen, magnesium, calcium, among others; even the heaviest and thickest layer made up of iron and nickel.
1- Earth's crust
It is the outer layer and the lightest. Its thickness is between 5 and 80 kilometers. It is composed mostly of different types of rocks. This in turn is divided into two layers:
Continental crust
It is made up of the continents. Its surface is made up of volcanic rocks such as granite. This layer has a depth of between 35 and 40 kilometers.
Ocean crust
It is formed by the bottom of the oceans and has an average thickness of 6 and 7 kilometers. It is made up of volcanic sediments such as basalt and gabbro.
The deepest oceanic point on Earth (hence the closest to the center of the Earth) is in the Western Pacific Ocean.
It is an oceanic trench that is part of the Mariana Islands. This trench is called Guam and has a depth of 11 035 meters. Humanity has not yet managed to reach the bottom of this pit.
2- Mantle
It is the midpoint between the earth's crust and the core. It has an approximate thickness of 2900 km that surrounds the nucleus.
The mantle is made up of silica, magnesium and oxygen, which form rocks called peridotites.
This layer is about 82% of the volume and 68% of the mass of the Earth.
This area is extremely important because its temperature and pressure provide the balance that allows the minerals to always be close to their melting point. It is at this point where the material that emerges from volcanic eruptions is generated.
3- Core
It is the deepest part of the Earth, it is in the center of it. It has a thickness of 7000 kilometers in diameter.
The core is made up of two parts:
External nucleus
It is in a liquid state, since it is not subjected to sufficient pressure and its temperature is around 4000 ° C, which does not allow it to enter a solid state.
Thanks to the movements of its liquid state, the nucleus allows the magnetic field to originate on Earth.
Inner core
Its state is solid since it is subjected to high pressures that prevent movement.
Both cores are made up of the same components: iron and nickel. However, pressure and temperature play a fundamental role in the variation of the states in each of the nuclei.
References
- Aguilar, HC (2002). Nature and Society: An Introduction to Geography. Peru: PUCP Editorial Fund.
- Luis M, AV (2005). From the moment of creation to the shape and structure of the earth. Mexico: UNAM.
- Manfred Reckziegel, WS (2000). The great Haack pocket atlas. AKAL Editions, 2000.
- Maria Beatriz Carenas Fernandez, JL (2014). Geology. Madrid, Spain: Ediciones Paraninfo, SA
- Valdivia, LM (1996). Geophysical properties of the earth. Mexico: Luis M. Alva Valdivia.