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Plate Tectonics

Plate Tectonics. Liz LaRosa for use with my 5 th Grade Science Class http://www.middleschoolscience.com 2009. Earth’s Layers. The Earth's rocky outer crust solidified billions of years ago, soon after the Earth formed.

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Plate Tectonics

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  1. Plate Tectonics Liz LaRosa for use with my 5th Grade Science Class http://www.middleschoolscience.com 2009

  2. Earth’s Layers The Earth's rocky outer crust solidified billions of years ago, soon after the Earth formed. This crust is not a solid shell; it is broken up into huge, thick plates that drift atop the soft, underlying mantle.

  3. The Crust • Outermost layer • 5 – 100 km thick • Made of Oxygen, Silicon, Aluminum

  4. The Mantle • Layer of Earth between the crust and the core • Contains most of the Earth’s mass • 2,900km Thick • Has more magnesium and less aluminum and silicon than the crust • Is denser than the crust • Scientists know about the composition from studying what comes out of volcanoes.

  5. The Core • Below the mantle and to the center of the Earth • 3,430 Km Thick • Believed to be mostly Iron, smaller amounts of Nickel • The core has two parts: the inner core, which is a solid and the outer core, a liquid.

  6. The Lithosphere The crust and the upper layer of the mantle together make up a zone of rigid, brittle rock called the Lithosphere.

  7. Tectonic Plates

  8. The Asthenosphere The asthenosphere is the semi-rigid part of the middle mantle that flows like hot asphalt under a heavy weight.

  9. The Mesosphere The mesosphere is the strong, lower mantle between the asthenosphere and the outer core. Mesosphere (lower mantle)

  10. Plate Tectonics • Greek – “tektonikos” of a builder • Pieces of the lithosphere that move around • Each plate has a name • Fit together like jigsaw puzzles • Float on top of mantle similar to ice cubes in a bowl of water

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