The Earth is made up of different layers, and each one has its own features and materials.
Crust
The crust is the outer layer of our planet. It's thin and can be a bit fragile. The thickness of the crust changes. It's about 5 kilometers thick under the oceans (this is called oceanic crust) and can be up to 70 kilometers thick under the continents (this is called continental crust). The crust is mainly made of special rocks called silicate rocks, and it's where we find land and living things. This layer is also split into pieces called tectonic plates that are always moving.
Mantle
Below the crust is the mantle, which is very deep—about 2,900 kilometers. The mantle is mainly made of silicate minerals that have a lot of magnesium and iron. There are currents in the mantle that help move the tectonic plates. The mantle has an upper part and a lower part. The upper part is partially melted, making it softer and more flexible. The lower part is solid and is under a lot of pressure.
Core
At the center of the Earth is the core. It's also divided into two parts: the outer core and the inner core. The outer core is liquid and is mostly made of iron and nickel. It's important because it creates the Earth's magnetic field as it moves. This layer goes from about 2,900 kilometers down to about 5,150 kilometers deep. The inner core is solid and extremely hot, with temperatures similar to the surface of the sun. It is also made mostly of iron and nickel and stretches from about 5,150 kilometers to the center of the Earth at around 6,371 kilometers.
These layers all work together in interesting ways. They play a big part in the Earth's geology, magnetic field, and movements of the tectonic plates, which shapes how our planet changes over time.
The Earth is made up of different layers, and each one has its own features and materials.
Crust
The crust is the outer layer of our planet. It's thin and can be a bit fragile. The thickness of the crust changes. It's about 5 kilometers thick under the oceans (this is called oceanic crust) and can be up to 70 kilometers thick under the continents (this is called continental crust). The crust is mainly made of special rocks called silicate rocks, and it's where we find land and living things. This layer is also split into pieces called tectonic plates that are always moving.
Mantle
Below the crust is the mantle, which is very deep—about 2,900 kilometers. The mantle is mainly made of silicate minerals that have a lot of magnesium and iron. There are currents in the mantle that help move the tectonic plates. The mantle has an upper part and a lower part. The upper part is partially melted, making it softer and more flexible. The lower part is solid and is under a lot of pressure.
Core
At the center of the Earth is the core. It's also divided into two parts: the outer core and the inner core. The outer core is liquid and is mostly made of iron and nickel. It's important because it creates the Earth's magnetic field as it moves. This layer goes from about 2,900 kilometers down to about 5,150 kilometers deep. The inner core is solid and extremely hot, with temperatures similar to the surface of the sun. It is also made mostly of iron and nickel and stretches from about 5,150 kilometers to the center of the Earth at around 6,371 kilometers.
These layers all work together in interesting ways. They play a big part in the Earth's geology, magnetic field, and movements of the tectonic plates, which shapes how our planet changes over time.