Beneath Our Feet: The Four Layers Of Earth Geology Worksheet Template With Answer Key printable pdf download

Beneath Our Feet: The Four Layers Of Earth Geology Worksheet Template With Answer Key

Name: ______________________________

Beneath our Feet:

The Four Layers of Earth

by Kelly Hashway

We all call the Earth home, but

did you ever think about what our home

is actually made of? The planet is

approximately 4,000 miles from surface

to center, but what makes up those

miles of Earth?

First, let’s start with the part of the

Earth that we live on, the outermost

The inside of the Earth has four different layers.

layer called the crust. It is made up of

loose material, like rocks, soil, and

seabed. The crust is about five miles deep beneath the oceans and about twenty-five miles

thick below the continents.

Beyond the crust is the mantle. The mantle extends approximately 1,800 miles deep into

the Earth. It makes up about 85% of the total weight of the Earth’s mass. The mantle also has

layers. The first 50 miles are hard rock. The next 150 miles are super-heated molten rock that is so

hot it can flow under pressure, like tar. Underneath this heated layer is several hundred miles of

solid rock. Think of the mantle like a peanut butter sandwich. You have the two pieces of bread

and the peanut butter between them. In the mantle, we have two layers of solid rock with

heated flowing rock between them.

Next is the outer core. This is about 3,000 miles beneath the Earth’s surface. The outer

core consists of super-heated liquid molten lava. The lava is mostly made up of iron and

nickel, which is why some geologists call it molten metal instead of molten rock. The outer

core creates the Earth’s magnetic field.

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Beneath Our Feet: The Four Layers Of Earth Geology Worksheet Template With Answer Key