Earth Surface Research Paper
Darlene Garcia
GEO 151
Prof. Denyse Lemaire
WA1
Feb. 2010
1. What are the relationships among Earth's mantle, crust, asthenosphere, and lithosphere?
The core is divided into three major compositional layers. The crust on Earth’s surface, the rocky mantle beneath the crust and the metallic core which is the center of the Earth. While distinct and separate parts of Earth, they are all interconnected.
The metallic inner core is solid, surrounded by a liquid (molten) outer core. Most of the mantle is solid, except for a layer very close to the crust boundary: the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is plastic-like and partially molten. On top of the asthenosphere there is a rigid layer of solid rocks called the lithosphere, formed by the uppermost mantle and …show more content…
They are the places on Earth's surface that Earth's imaginary spin axis passes through. Our planet also has two magnetic poles: the North Magnetic Pole and the South Magnetic Pole. The magnetic poles are near, but not quite in the same places as, the geographic poles. The needle in a compass points towards a magnetic pole. However, if you are near either pole, a compass becomes useless. It points towards the magnetic pole, not the true geographic pole. Those two poles could be quite far apart, and in different directions.
Earth's magnetic field is tilted a little bit. That angle is about 11 degrees. That's why the magnetic poles and the geographic poles are not in the same place. Earth's magnetic poles are far from its geographic poles. In 2005, the North Magnetic Pole (NMP) was about 810 km (503 miles) from the Geographic North Pole. The NMP was in the Arctic Ocean north of Canada. The South Magnetic Pole (SMP) was about 2,826 km (1,756 miles) from the Geographic South Pole. The SMP was off the coast of Antarctica in the direction of
GEO 151
Prof. Denyse Lemaire
WA1
Feb. 2010
1. What are the relationships among Earth's mantle, crust, asthenosphere, and lithosphere?
The core is divided into three major compositional layers. The crust on Earth’s surface, the rocky mantle beneath the crust and the metallic core which is the center of the Earth. While distinct and separate parts of Earth, they are all interconnected.
The metallic inner core is solid, surrounded by a liquid (molten) outer core. Most of the mantle is solid, except for a layer very close to the crust boundary: the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is plastic-like and partially molten. On top of the asthenosphere there is a rigid layer of solid rocks called the lithosphere, formed by the uppermost mantle and …show more content…
They are the places on Earth's surface that Earth's imaginary spin axis passes through. Our planet also has two magnetic poles: the North Magnetic Pole and the South Magnetic Pole. The magnetic poles are near, but not quite in the same places as, the geographic poles. The needle in a compass points towards a magnetic pole. However, if you are near either pole, a compass becomes useless. It points towards the magnetic pole, not the true geographic pole. Those two poles could be quite far apart, and in different directions.
Earth's magnetic field is tilted a little bit. That angle is about 11 degrees. That's why the magnetic poles and the geographic poles are not in the same place. Earth's magnetic poles are far from its geographic poles. In 2005, the North Magnetic Pole (NMP) was about 810 km (503 miles) from the Geographic North Pole. The NMP was in the Arctic Ocean north of Canada. The South Magnetic Pole (SMP) was about 2,826 km (1,756 miles) from the Geographic South Pole. The SMP was off the coast of Antarctica in the direction of