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Warm Up 12/4. When does liquefaction occur? When loosely consolidated soils saturated with water are shaken by earthquake waves What factors determine how much damage is inflicted on a building?
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Warm Up 12/4 • When does liquefaction occur? • When loosely consolidated soils saturated with water are shaken by earthquake waves • What factors determine how much damage is inflicted on a building? • Intensity and duration of vibrations, nature of material on which the structure is built, and design of the structure • Why is it incorrect to refer to tsunamis as tidal waves? • Tidal waves are caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon, while tsunamis are caused by earthquakes
Layers Defined by Composition • If Earth were made up of the same materials throughout its interior, seismic waves would travel in straight lines at constant speeds • Seismic waves reaching seismographs located farther from an earthquake travel at faster average speeds, due to increased pressure at depth • Earth’s interior consists of three major zones defined by its chemical composition – the crust, mantle, and core
The Crust • Crust – thin, rocky, outer layer of Earth; divided into oceanic and continental crust • The oceanic crust is roughly 7 kilometers thick and composed of the igneous rocks basalt and gabbro • The continental crust is 8-75 kilometers thick (avg. 40 km) and consists mostly of the granitic rock granodiorite • The rocks of the oceanic crust are younger then the rocks of the continental crust
Mantle and Core • Mantle – a solid, rocky shell that extends to a depth of 2890 km • Over 82% of Earth’s mass is contained in the mantle • The boundary between the crust and mantle represents a chemical composition change • Core – a sphere composed of an iron-nickel alloy
Layers Defined by Physical Properties • Earth’s interior has a gradual increase in temperature, pressure, and density with depth • Depending on the physical environment (temperature and pressure), a material may behave like a brittle solid, a putty, or a liquid • Earth can be divided into layers based on physical properties – the lithosphere, asthenosphere, outer core, and inner core.
Lithosphere and Asthenosphere • Lithosphere – relatively cool, rigid shell consisting of the crust and upper most mantle • Averages about 100 kilometers in thickness • Asthenosphere – soft, comparatively weak layer beneath the lithosphere • The rocks within the asthenosphere are close enough to their melting points that they are easily deformed
Lower Mantle • From a depth of 660 km down to near the base of the mantle • More rigid layer that is still prone to gradual flow • At the bottom of the mantle, rocks behave more like those in the asthenosphere
Inner and Outer Core • The core, which is composed of an iron-nickel alloy, is divided into two regions with different physical properties • Outer Core – liquid layer 2260 km thick, flow produces Earth’s magnetic field • Inner Core – sphere with a radius of 1220 km, compressed into a solid state by immense pressure
Discovering Earth’s Layers • Moho – boundary separating the crust from the mantle where the velocity of seismic waves abruptly increases • Seismic waves from even small earthquakes can travel around the world • The outer core causes P waves that travel through it to arrive several minutes after expected and are bent by 100o away from the earthquake (shadow zone) • It was further shown that S waves do not travel through the outer core, making geologists conclude that the outer core is composed of a liquid
Discovering Earth’s Composition • Early seismic data and drilling technology indicate that the continental crust is mostly made of lighter, granitic rocks • The crust of the ocean floor has a baslatic composition • The composition of the mantle and core is known from more indirect data • Scientists use lava and meteorites to infer the composition of the mantle and core • Earth’s core is thought to be mainly dense iron and nickel, similar to metallic meteorites. The surrounding mantle is believed to be composed of rocks similar to stony meteorites
Assignment • Read Chapter 8, Section 4 (pg. 233-237) • Do 8.4 Assessment #1-6 (pg. 237)