Journey to the Center of the Earth: What We Know About the Core, Mantle, and Their Movement

Although we cannot physically travel to the Earths center, science has revealed remarkable details about our planets interior through seismic studies and other methods. Earths Layers: The Crust: 5-70 km thick - Oceanic crust: Thin, dense basalt - Continental crust: Thick, less dense granite - Contains all life and geological features we see The Mantle: ~2,900 km thick - Mostly solid but flows slowly over time - Convection currents drive plate tectonics - Contains most of Earths mass - Temperature ranges from 1000°C to 3700°C The Core: ~3,400 km radius - Outer core: Liquid iron-nickel alloy - Inner core: Solid iron-nickel at 5000-6000°C - Generates Earths magnetic field How We Know: - Seismic wave analysis from earthquakes - Meteorite composition studies - Laboratory experiments at extreme pressures - Computer modeling Understanding Earths interior helps us comprehend plate tectonics, volcanism, earthquakes, and the magnetic field that protects us from solar radiation.