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Layers of the Earth
Layers of the Earth Vocabulary
Term | Definition |
---|---|
Seismic waves | Vibrations that travel through Earth carrying the energy released during an earthquake. |
Pressure | The force exerted on a surface divided by the total area over which the force is exerted. |
Crust | The layer of rock that forms Earth’s outer surface. |
Basalt | A dark, dense, igneous rock with a fine texture, found in oceanic crust. |
Granite | A usually light colored igneous rock that is found in continental crust. |
Mantle | Mantle The layer of hot, solid material between Earth’s crust and core. |
Lithosphere | A rigid layer made up of the uppermost part of the mantle and the crust. |
Asthenosphere | The soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats. |
Outer core | A layer of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core of the Earth. |
Inner core | A dense sphere of solid iron and nickel the center of the Earth. |