Model for Structure of Earth

Here is a simplified drawing

• crust
• rocky mantle
• mostly iron core
  • outer part is liquid
  • inner part is so compressed that it is solid

Here is a more detailed drawing

---

The mantle

lithosphere

• hard
• ~100 km thick
• crust floats on top
  • continental crust, 20 to 70 km thick
  • oceanic crust, ~ 8 km thick

asthenosphere

• soft
• ~3000 km thick

ASTR 121 Home