Earth Interior Composition

The internal structure of earth is layered in spherical shells.

Earth interior composition. Scientific understanding of the internal structure of earth is based on observations of topography and bathymetry observations of rock in outcrop samples brought to the surface from greater depths by volcanoes or volcanic activity analysis of the seismic waves that pass t. Nevertheless in chemical and mineralogical composition as in physical properties earth is far from homogeneous. More than 90 percent of earth s mass is composed of iron oxygen silicon and magnesium elements that can form the crystalline minerals known as silicates.

This composition is assumed based upon calculations of its density and upon the fact that many meteorites which are thought to be portions of the interior of a planetary body are iron nickel alloys. The structure of the moon. Earth s core is thought to be composed mainly of an iron and nickel alloy.

Finally the core is mostly iron metal. 1 the inner core. The crust makes up less than 1 percent of earth by mass consisting of oceanic crust and continental crust is often more felsic rock.

Scientists suspectthat about 10 of the layer is composed of sulfur and or oxygen becausethese elements are abundant in the cosmos and dissolve readily inmolten iron. The mantle is hot and represents about 68 percent of earth s mass. A liquid molten core of nickel and iron.

Scientists are continuing to refine the chemical and mineral composition of the earth s interior by laboratory experiments by using pressures 2 million times the pressure of the atmosphere at the surface and temperatures as high as 20000c. An outer silicate solid crust a highly viscous asthenosphere and mantle a liquid outer core that is much less viscous than the mantle and a solid inner core. A solid metal core made up of nickel and iron 2440 km diameter 2 the outer core.

Structure of the interior of earth earth has a diameter of about 12 756 km 7 972 mi. It is made up of four main layers. This layer is not as dense as pure molten iron which indicates the presence of lighter elements.