Layers of Earth

• The Earth's layers are the crust, mantle, and core

  
• The Earth's crust is the thinnest layer, ranging from 2 miles in some ocean areas to 75 miles deep under mountains
• The crust is made up of large amounts of silicon and aluminum and consists of oceanic and continental crust
• The mantle is the thickest layer of the Earth, making up 70% of the Earth's mass, and is solid but capable of flow like hot asphalt or fudge
• Convection currents in the mantle cause changes in the Earth's surface
• The core consists of the outer core, a molten layer of liquid metal about 4,700°C, and the inner core, a solid sphere mostly of iron believed to be as hot as 6,650°C
• The inner core is solid due to the pressure from the outer core, mantle, and crust compressing it tremendously
• The lithosphere consists of the crust and upper mantle, divided into separate plates that move slowly in response to the mantle's convection
• Temperature, density, and pressure increase as depth increases in the Earth's layers
• The core has the greatest temperature, pressure, and density among the Earth's layers
• Asthenosphere

  • It lies between about 100 kilometers (62 miles) and 410 kilometers (255 miles) beneath Earth's surface.