Let’s talk about digging a hole,
imagine a team of drillers who set out to drill a hole to the other side of Earth. Because who wouldn’t want to build a shortcut to the other side of the Earth, right?
So, our team of drillers hires a brilliant engineer to design the strongest drill possible. After several designs, the engineer has the perfect drill to get the job done.
How far do you think the team of drillers makes it?
We’ll get back to our team of drillers in just a second. But first, let’s get to know inside our Earth.
Outer Let’s talk about digging a hole,
imagine a team of drillers who set out to drill a hole to the other side of Earth. Because who wouldn’t want to build a shortcut to the other side of the Earth, right?
So, our team of drillers hires a brilliant engineer to design the strongest drill possible. After several designs, the engineer has the perfect drill to get the job done.
How far do you think the team of drillers makes it?
We’ll get back to our team of drillers in just a second. But first, let’s get to know inside our Earth.
Earth’s outer core is liquid with a thickness of about 2,400 km. It’s composed mostly of nickel and iron, with a density between 9.9 to 12.2 g/cm3. Because the core is made of metal, electrical conduction transfers from the core to the mantle.
For example, the heaviest material like iron and zinc are in the core. Finally, lighter silicate rocks remain on top to form a crust.
Now, we know Earth’s density is highest in the core and lighter in the crust. Let’s start with the lightest, which is the lithosphere.
Inner core
The transition between the inner and outer core is 5,150 km beneath Earth’s surface. At the center of the Earth, it’s about, 5500 °C. The pressure is remarkably intense. Earth’s inner core has the highest density at 12.9 g/cm3.
As we move down through the crust into the mantle, we get into denser and heavier rocks. It’s not only density. But the further we go, the hotter it becomes.
Similar to how the temperature fluctuates in the air on our planet, the temperature in the mantle varies. But it turns out that variation is even more extreme deep inside Earth.
The mantle’s structure is mostly silicates, with a density ranging from 3.2 to 5.7 g/cm3. Because the mantle and crust are made of rock, the transfer of heat is through convection. The hotter, fluid mantle causes the less dense crust to rise, which consequently results in the transfer of heat.
But the continental crust is completely different from oceanic crust. Continental crust is thicker and less dense than oceanic crust. It’s too buoyant to sink compared to the heavier mantle rock underneath. Because continental crust floats on the surface of the mantle, continents can have rocks over 4 billion years old.
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