GEOSPHERE

-from the Greek word ‘ge’ or commonly used in

English prefix ‘geo-’, which means earth or ground
DEFINITION -is all the land, rocks, and minerals the planet is
made of
-refers to the solid parts of the Earth
LAYERS OF GEOSPHERE

COMPOSITIONAL LAYERS

PHYSICAL LAYERS
COMPOSITIONAL LAYERS

- composed almost entirely of light elements, like

• CRUST silicon
- has two types: oceanic and continental

- composed mainly of olivine-rich rock

• MANTLE - makes up 68% of Earth’s mass

- composed of very dense elements, such as nickel

• CORE and iron
 PHYSICAL LAYERS
• LITHOSPHERE
- crust and uppermost mantle, consists of tectonic plates

• ASTHENOSPHERE
- mantle rock that allows tectonic plates to move

• MESOSPHERE
- lowest part of mantle

• OUTER CORE
- liquid nickel and iron
• INNER CORE
- solid nickel and iron
Summary of Earth’s Layers
HOW ARE THE LAYERS OF THE EARTH DETERMINED?

-Scientists use seismic

waves to “see” and learn
about Earth’s interior.

-Seismic waves react

differently when they hit
or pass through a material.
 Earth’s core is divided into two physical layers: the
Additional inner core and the outer core, both are made
Information: mostly of iron and nickel.
However, the layers are very different. The outer
core is liquid, and the inner core is solid. Since the
outer core is liquid, it is less dense than the inner
core.

This causes the outer core to rotate faster than the

inner core. The difference in rotational speeds,
along with the composition of iron and nickel, are
what scientists believe give the Earth its magnetic
field.
IMPORTANCE OF GEOSPHERE
• The Geosphere is important because it defines
much of the environment we live in, controls the
distribution of minerals, rocks and soils and
generates natural hazards that shape the land and
impact humans. The distribution of mountains,
position of continents, shape of the sea floor and
location of major rivers and flood plains are all
largely products of processes that occur in the
Geosphere. The distribution of mineral resources,
such as oil, coal, metal ores and even sand and
gravel are critical to the economic success of most
nations.