What is the earth made of?
The earth is made up of different layers which are at different temperatures and have different states. In the center of the earth we have the inner core, the inner core is solid and is surrounded by molten rock that we call the 'core'. The top layer of the earth is called the crust, there is continental crust ( the crust that forms the land and that is very thick.) and there is oceanic crust (much thinner and forms the bottom of the ocean ) . Under this crust is the mantle. The middle of the mantle is molten (just like the core) but the upper mantle isn't so the crust and the upper mantle float on the rest of the molten rock.
We know that this is what the earth looks like because seismologists have different types of equipment to measure waves caused by earthquakes (when there is an earthquake, it sends waves through the earth). Seismologists calculate the size of the layers, their state and temperature by recording where the waves come out in the world. They calculate it this way because the waves will bend in different types of heat and states
The earths crust is divided into pieces of different sizes we call plates. They all fit together to cover up the earth, there are 9 big plates and then some smaller ones. If one plate moves, it will affect all the plates around it. To study plate movement we call it plate tectonics.
Plate tectonics:
The earth is made up of different layers which are at different temperatures and have different states. In the center of the earth we have the inner core, the inner core is solid and is surrounded by molten rock that we call the 'core'. The top layer of the earth is called the crust, there is continental crust ( the crust that forms the land and that is very thick.) and there is oceanic crust (much thinner and forms the bottom of the ocean ) . Under this crust is the mantle. The middle of the mantle is molten (just like the core) but the upper mantle isn't so the crust and the upper mantle float on the rest of the molten rock.
We know that this is what the earth looks like because seismologists have different types of equipment to measure waves caused by earthquakes (when there is an earthquake, it sends waves through the earth). Seismologists calculate the size of the layers, their state and temperature by recording where the waves come out in the world. They calculate it this way because the waves will bend in different types of heat and states
The earths crust is divided into pieces of different sizes we call plates. They all fit together to cover up the earth, there are 9 big plates and then some smaller ones. If one plate moves, it will affect all the plates around it. To study plate movement we call it plate tectonics.
Plate tectonics:
This video shows/explains plate tectonics.
10 Interesting plate tectonic facts:
1) The continents have gradually moved to form the earth the way it is now, this means that in the future, earth may not look the way it does now!
2) The earth is the only planet in our solar system with plate tectonics.
3) The earths molten iron core creates a magnetic field
4) The outer shell of the earth is called the Lithosphere (outer shell meaning the crust and upper mantle) and the area underneath is called the asthenosphere.
5) Convergent plates move towards one another while diverging plates move apart and transverse plate move sideways passed each other.
6) Every year, the 7 continents move about 2 centimeters away from each other
7) Around 300 million years ago, plate movement drove earths landmasses into one great continent-Pangaea
8) The biggest plate is the Pacific plate, which underlines the whole of the Pacific Ocean
9) The Lithosphere was too thin for tectonic plates until 500 million years ago.
10) Plate tectonics is from the Greek word for 'the one who constructs'
1) The continents have gradually moved to form the earth the way it is now, this means that in the future, earth may not look the way it does now!
2) The earth is the only planet in our solar system with plate tectonics.
3) The earths molten iron core creates a magnetic field
4) The outer shell of the earth is called the Lithosphere (outer shell meaning the crust and upper mantle) and the area underneath is called the asthenosphere.
5) Convergent plates move towards one another while diverging plates move apart and transverse plate move sideways passed each other.
6) Every year, the 7 continents move about 2 centimeters away from each other
7) Around 300 million years ago, plate movement drove earths landmasses into one great continent-Pangaea
8) The biggest plate is the Pacific plate, which underlines the whole of the Pacific Ocean
9) The Lithosphere was too thin for tectonic plates until 500 million years ago.
10) Plate tectonics is from the Greek word for 'the one who constructs'
This image shows the earths different plates, New Zealand is on the Indo-Australian plate and Pacific plate.