Layers of the earth's crust in order in the section. What the Earth is made of: internal and external structure

There are five main layers of the Earth: crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, liquid outer core, and solid inner core. The crust is the thinnest outer layer of the Earth, on which the continents are located. It is followed by the mantle - the thickest layer of our planet, which is divided into two layers. The core is also divided into two layers - a liquid outer core and a solid spherical inner core. There are several ways to create a model of the Earth's layers. The simplest and most common options are a three-dimensional model made of sculpted clay, plasticine or sculpting dough, or a flat image on paper.

What do you need

Modeling dough model

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 cup coarse sea salt
• 4 teaspoons potassium tartrate
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 glasses of water
• Pot
• Wooden spoon
• Food colors: yellow, orange, red, brown, green and blue (if you don't have any color, use the ones you have)
• Fishing line or dental floss

Paper model

• 5 sheets of heavy paper or thin cardboard (brown, orange, red, blue, and white)
• Compass or stencil with circles of 5 different diameters
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Large sheet of cardboard

Styrofoam model

• Large foam ball (13-18 cm diameter)
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Long serrated knife
• Acrylic paints (green, blue, yellow, red, orange and brown)
• Brush
• 4 toothpicks
• Scotch
• Small strips of paper

Steps

Dough model

To make a three-dimensional model, you will need to buy sculpting clay or plasticine, or prepare a dough for modeling. In any case, seven colors are needed: two shades of yellow, orange, red, brown, green and blue. It is recommended to cook the dough with your own hands under the supervision of parents.

Prepare the modeling dough. If you bought sculpting clay or clay, skip this step. Mix all ingredients (flour, salt, potassium tartrate, oil and water) until smooth, without lumps. Then transfer the mixture to a saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly. During the heating process, the dough will thicken. When the dough begins to lag behind the sides of the pot, remove the pot from the hotplate and let cool to room temperature.

• The cooled dough must be kneaded for 1-2 minutes.
• This step is recommended to be done under parental supervision.
• Large crystals of salt will still be visible in the dough - this is normal.

1. Divide the dough into seven different sized balls and add the colorings. First, make two small golf balls about the size of a golf ball. Next, make two medium-sized balls and three large balls. Use a few drops of food coloring for each bead according to the following list. Knead each dough piece to distribute the color evenly.

   • two small balls: green and red;
   • two medium balls: orange and brown;
   • three large balls: two shades of yellow and blue.

2. Roll the red ball into the orange dough. You will create a model of the Earth from the inner layer to the outer layers. The red ball will represent the inner core. The orange dough is the outer core. Flatten the orange ball slightly to wrap the dough around the red ball.

   • The entire model must be spherical to resemble the shape of the Earth.

3. Wrap the resulting sphere in two yellow layers. The next layer is the mantle, which corresponds to the yellow dough. The mantle is the widest layer of planet Earth, so wrap the inner core in two thick layers of yellow dough of different shades.

   • Roll out the dough to the required thickness and wrap around the ball, gently joining on all sides to form a single layer.

4. Then roll out and wrap a brown layer around the model. The brown dough will represent the earth's crust, the thinnest layer of the planet. Roll out the brown dough to form a thin layer, then wrap around the ball in the same way as in the previous layers.

5. Add the world's oceans and continents. Wrap the globe in a thin layer of blue dough. This is the last layer of our model. The ocean and continents are part of the crust, so they should not be treated as separate layers.

   • Finally, give the green dough the rough shape of the continents. Press them against the ocean, positioning them like on a globe.

6. Use dental floss to cut the ball in half. Place the ball on a table and pull the string over the center of the sphere. Imagine an imaginary equator on the model and hold the string over this place. Cut the ball in half with the string.

   • The two halves will show a clear cross-section of the layers of the Earth.

7. Label each layer. Make small checkboxes for each layer. Wrap a strip of paper around a toothpick and secure with tape. Make five flags: crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, outer core, and inner core. Paste each checkbox into its corresponding layer.

   • Now you have two halves of the Earth, so you can use the half with flags to show the layers of the planet, and the other with the ocean and continents as a top view.

8. Gather interesting facts for each layer. Find information about the composition and thickness of each layer. Provide information on density and temperatures present. Create a short report or infographic to complement the 3D model with the necessary explanations.

   Paper model

   Styrofoam model

   1. Prepare the required materials. This model uses a foam sphere shaped like the Earth, a quarter of which has been cut out so that you can see the inner workings of the planet. The incision should be performed under parental supervision.

      • All materials and supplies can be found at home or at a craft store.

   2. Draw circles along the horizontal and vertical center of the Styrofoam ball. You need to cut out about a quarter of the styrofoam ball. The circles dividing the ball into horizontal and vertical halves will help you with this. Perfect precision is not required, but try to stay centered.

      • Keep the ruler centered.
      • Hold the pencil in place over the ruler.
      • Ask a friend to rotate the ball horizontally while holding the pencil and making sure the line goes down the center.
      • After drawing a full circle, repeat the procedure vertically.
      • As a result, you will get two lines that divide the ball into four equal parts.

   3. Cut out a quarter of the ball. Two intersecting lines will divide the ball into four parts. You need to cut out one quarter with a knife. We strongly recommend that you do this under parental supervision.

      • Position the ball so that one of the lines is pointing straight up.
      • Place the knife over the line and gently cut back and forth until you reach the center of the ball (horizontal line).
      • Flip the ball so that the horizontal line is now pointing up.
      • Cut gently until you reach the center of the ball.
      • Gently wiggle the cutout quarter to separate it from the styrofoam ball.

A characteristic feature of the evolution of the Earth is the differentiation of matter, the expression of which is the shell structure of our planet. The lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere form the main shells of the Earth, differing in chemical composition, power and state of matter.

The internal structure of the Earth

The chemical composition of the Earth(Fig. 1) is similar to the composition of other terrestrial planets, such as Venus or Mars.

In general, elements such as iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, nickel prevail. The content of light elements is low. The average density of the Earth's matter is 5.5 g / cm 3.

There is very little reliable data on the internal structure of the Earth. Consider fig. 2. It depicts the internal structure of the Earth. The earth consists of the earth's crust, mantle and core.

Rice. 1. The chemical composition of the Earth

Rice. 2. Internal structure of the Earth

Core

Core(Fig. 3) is located in the center of the Earth, its radius is about 3.5 thousand km. The core temperature reaches 10,000 K, that is, it is higher than the temperature of the outer layers of the Sun, and its density is 13 g / cm 3 (compare: water - 1 g / cm 3). The core is presumably composed of iron and nickel alloys.

The outer core of the Earth has a greater thickness than the inner one (radius of 2200 km) and is in a liquid (molten) state. The inner core is subject to tremendous pressure. The substances composing it are in a solid state.

Mantle

Mantle- the Earth's geosphere, which surrounds the core and makes up 83% of the volume of our planet (see Fig. 3). Its lower boundary is located at a depth of 2900 km. The mantle is divided into a less dense and plastic upper part (800-900 km), from which magma(translated from Greek means "thick ointment"; this is the molten substance of the earth's interior - a mixture of chemical compounds and elements, including gases, in a special semi-liquid state); and a crystalline lower one, about 2000 km thick.

Rice. 3. The structure of the Earth: core, mantle and crust

Earth's crust

Earth's crust - outer shell of the lithosphere (see Fig. 3). Its density is approximately two times less than the average density of the Earth - 3 g / cm 3.

Separates the earth's crust from the mantle Mohorovicic border(it is often called the Moho boundary), characterized by a sharp increase in seismic wave velocities. It was installed in 1909 by a Croatian scientist Andrey Mohorovich (1857- 1936).

Since the processes occurring in the uppermost part of the mantle affect the movement of matter in the earth's crust, they are combined under the general name lithosphere(stone shell). The thickness of the lithosphere ranges from 50 to 200 km.

Below the lithosphere is located asthenosphere- less solid and less viscous, but more plastic shell with a temperature of 1200 ° C. It can cross the border of the Moho, penetrating into the earth's crust. The asthenosphere is the source of volcanism. It contains foci of molten magma, which penetrates the earth's crust or pours out onto the earth's surface.

Composition and structure of the earth's crust

Compared to the mantle and core, the earth's crust is a very thin, hard and fragile layer. It is composed of a lighter substance, which currently contains about 90 natural chemical elements. These elements are not equally represented in the earth's crust. Seven elements - oxygen, aluminum, iron, calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium - account for 98% of the mass of the earth's crust (see Fig. 5).

Unique combinations of chemical elements form various rocks and minerals. The oldest of them are at least 4.5 billion years old.

Rice. 4. The structure of the earth's crust

Rice. 5. Composition of the earth's crust

Mineral Is a relatively homogeneous natural body in its composition and properties, which forms both in the depths and on the surface of the lithosphere. Examples of minerals are diamond, quartz, gypsum, talc, etc. (You will find a description of the physical properties of various minerals in Appendix 2.) The composition of the Earth's minerals is shown in Fig. 6.

Rice. 6. General mineral composition of the Earth

Rocks are composed of minerals. They can be composed of one or several minerals.

Sedimentary rocks - clay, limestone, chalk, sandstone, etc. - formed by precipitation of substances in the aquatic environment and on land. They lie in layers. Geologists call them the pages of the history of the Earth, since they can learn about the natural conditions that existed on our planet in ancient times.

Among sedimentary rocks, organogenic and inorganic (detrital and chemogenic) are distinguished.

Organogenic rocks are formed as a result of the accumulation of animal and plant remains.

Clastic rocks are formed as a result of weathering, deposition with the help of water, ice or wind, the products of destruction of previously formed rocks (Table 1).

Table 1. Clastic rocks depending on the size of the fragments

Chemogenic rocks are formed as a result of the deposition of substances dissolved in them from the waters of seas and lakes.

In the thickness of the earth's crust, magma forms igneous rocks(fig. 7) such as granite and basalt.

Sedimentary and igneous rocks, when immersed to great depths under the influence of pressure and high temperatures, undergo significant changes, turning into metamorphic rocks. So, for example, limestone turns into marble, quartz sandstone - into quartzite.

Three layers are distinguished in the structure of the earth's crust: sedimentary, "granite", "basalt".

Sedimentary layer(see Fig. 8) is formed mainly by sedimentary rocks. Clays and shales prevail here, sandy, carbonate and volcanic rocks are widely represented. In the sedimentary layer, there are deposits of such mineral, like coal, gas, oil. They are all organic. For example, coal is a transformation product of plants in ancient times. The thickness of the sedimentary layer varies widely - from complete absence in some land areas to 20-25 km in deep depressions.

Rice. 7. Classification of rocks by origin

"Granite" layer consists of metamorphic and igneous rocks similar in properties to granite. The most widespread here are gneisses, granites, crystalline schists, etc. The granite layer is not found everywhere, but on the continents, where it is well expressed, its maximum thickness can reach several tens of kilometers.

"Basalt" layer formed by rocks close to basalts. These are metamorphosed igneous rocks, which are denser in comparison with the rocks of the "granite" layer.

The thickness and vertical structure of the earth's crust are different. There are several types of the earth's crust (Fig. 8). According to the simplest classification, the oceanic and continental crust are distinguished.

Continental and oceanic crust differ in thickness. So, the maximum thickness of the earth's crust is observed under mountain systems. It is about 70 km. Under the plains, the thickness of the earth's crust is 30-40 km, and under the oceans it is the thinnest - only 5-10 km.

Rice. 8. Types of the earth's crust: 1 - water; 2- sedimentary layer; 3 - intercalation of sedimentary rocks and basalts; 4 - basalts and crystalline ultrabasic rocks; 5 - granite-metamorphic layer; 6 - granulite-basic layer; 7 - normal mantle; 8 - loose mantle

The difference between the continental and oceanic crust in the composition of the rocks is manifested in the fact that there is no granite layer in the oceanic crust. And the basalt layer of the oceanic crust is very peculiar. In terms of the composition of the rocks, it differs from the analogous layer of the continental crust.

The boundary between land and ocean (zero mark) does not record the transition of the continental crust to the oceanic one. The replacement of the continental crust by the oceanic one occurs in the ocean at about a depth of 2450 m.

Rice. 9. The structure of the continental and oceanic crust

Transitional types of the earth's crust are also distinguished - suboceanic and subcontinental.

Suboceanic crust located along the continental slopes and foothills, can be found in the marginal and Mediterranean seas. It is a continental crust up to 15-20 km thick.

Subcontinental crust located, for example, on volcanic island arcs.

Based on materials seismic sounding - seismic wave velocity - we get data on the deep structure of the earth's crust. Thus, the Kola superdeep borehole, which for the first time made it possible to see rock samples from a depth of more than 12 km, brought a lot of unexpected things. It was assumed that a “basalt” layer should begin at a depth of 7 km. In reality, however, it was not found, and gneisses predominated among the rocks.

Change in the temperature of the earth's crust with depth. The near-surface layer of the earth's crust has a temperature determined by solar heat. it heliometric layer(from the Greek. Helio - the Sun), experiencing seasonal temperature fluctuations. Its average thickness is about 30 m.

Below there is an even thinner layer, a characteristic feature of which is a constant temperature corresponding to the average annual temperature of the observation site. The depth of this layer increases in a continental climate.

Even deeper in the earth's crust, a geothermal layer stands out, the temperature of which is determined by the internal heat of the Earth and increases with depth.

The increase in temperature occurs mainly due to the decay of radioactive elements that make up rocks, primarily radium and uranium.

The increase in temperature of rocks with depth is called geothermal gradient. It fluctuates within a fairly wide range - from 0.1 to 0.01 ° C / m - and depends on the composition of rocks, the conditions of their occurrence and a number of other factors. Under the oceans, the temperature rises faster with depth than on the continents. On average, it becomes 3 ° C warmer with every 100 m depth.

The reciprocal of the geothermal gradient is called geothermal step. It is measured in m / ° C.

The heat of the earth's crust is an important energy source.

A part of the earth's crust, extending to the depths available for geological study, forms bowels of the earth. The bowels of the Earth require special protection and reasonable use.

In the twentieth century, through numerous studies, mankind revealed the secret of the earth's interior, the structure of the earth in a section became known to every schoolchild. For those who do not yet know what the earth is made of, what are its main layers, their composition, what is the name of the thinnest part of the planet, we will list a number of significant facts.

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The shape and size of the planet Earth

Contrary to common misconception our planet is not round... Its shape is called a geoid and is a slightly flattened ball. The places where the globe is compressed are called poles. The axis of the earth's rotation passes through the poles, our planet makes one revolution around it in 24 hours - the earth's day.

In the middle, the planet is encircled by an imaginary circle dividing the geoid into the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Except for the equator, there are meridians - circles perpendicular to the equator and passing through both poles. One of them, passing through the Greenwich Observatory, is called zero - it serves as a reference point for geographical longitude and time zones.

The main characteristics of the globe include:

• diameter (km.): equatorial - 12 756, polar (at the poles) - 12 713;
• length (km) of the equator - 40 057, meridian - 40 008.

So, our planet is a kind of ellipse - a geoid rotating around its axis passing through two poles - North and South.

The central part of the geoid is surrounded by the equator - a circle dividing our planet into two hemispheres. In order to determine what is the radius of the earth, use half the values ​​of its diameter at the poles and the equator.

And now about that what the earth is made of, what shells it is covered with and what is sectional structure of the earth.

Earth shells

The main shell of the earth are allocated depending on their content. Since our planet has the shape of a ball, its shells, held by gravity, are called spheres. If you look at from tripping of the earth in a section, then three spheres can be seen:

In order(starting from the surface of the planet) they are located as follows:

1. The lithosphere is the hard shell of the planet, including mineral layers of the earth.
2. Hydrosphere - contains water resources - rivers, lakes, seas and oceans.
3. Atmosphere - is an air shell that surrounds the planet.

In addition, the biosphere is also distinguished, which includes all living organisms that inhabit other shells.

Important! Many scientists attribute the population of the planet to a separate vast envelope called the anthroposphere.

The earth's shells - the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere - are distinguished according to the principle of combining a homogeneous component. In the lithosphere, these are solid rocks, soil, the inner contents of the planet, in the hydrosphere - all of it, in the atmosphere - all air and other gases.

Atmosphere

Atmosphere - gas shell, in it includes:, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, gas, dust.

1. The troposphere is the upper layer of the earth, containing most of the earth's air and extending from the surface to a height of 8-10 km (at the poles) to 16-18 km (at the equator). Clouds and various air masses are formed in the troposphere.
2. The stratosphere is a layer in which the air content is much lower than in the troposphere. His average thickness is 39-40 km. This layer begins from the upper boundary of the troposphere and ends at an altitude of about 50 km.
3. The mesosphere is a layer of the atmosphere that extends from 50-60 to 80-90 km above the earth's surface. It is characterized by a steady drop in temperature.
4. Thermosphere - located 200-300 km from the surface of the planet, differs from the mesosphere by an increase in temperature with increasing altitude.
5. Exosphere - starts from the upper boundary, lying below the thermosphere, and gradually passes into open space, it is characterized by a low air content, high solar radiation.

Attention! In the stratosphere, at an altitude of about 20-25 km, there is a thin layer of ozone, which protects all life on the planet from ultraviolet rays, which are destructive for it. Without it, all living things would very soon perish.

The atmosphere is the earthly shell, without which life on the planet would be impossible.

It contains the air necessary for breathing of living organisms, determines suitable weather conditions, protects the planet from negative influence of solar radiation.

The atmosphere consists of air, while air is approximately 70% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.4% carbon dioxide and other rare gases.

In addition, there is an important ozone layer in the atmosphere, at about 50 km.

Hydrosphere

The hydrosphere is all fluids on the planet.

This shell by location water resources and their degree of salinity includes:

• the world ocean - a huge area occupied by salt water and includes four and 63 seas;
• the surface waters of the continents are freshwater, as well as occasionally brackish water bodies. They are subdivided according to the degree of fluidity into reservoirs with a current - rivers on and reservoirs with stagnant water - lakes, ponds, swamps;
• groundwater - fresh water located below the earth's surface. Depth their occurrence ranges from 1-2 to 100-200 meters or more.

Important! A huge amount of fresh water is currently in the form of ice - today, in the permafrost zones in the form of glaciers, huge icebergs, constant non-melting snow, there are about 34 million km3 of fresh water reserves.

The hydrosphere is, first of all, a source of fresh drinking water, one of the main climate-forming factors. Water resources are used as communication routes and objects of tourism and recreation (recreation).

Lithosphere

The lithosphere is solid ( mineral) layers of the earth. The thickness of this shell ranges from 100 (under the seas) to 200 km (under the continents). The lithosphere includes the earth's crust and the upper part of the mantle.

What is located below the lithosphere is directly the internal structure of our planet.

The plates of the lithosphere are predominantly composed of basalt, sand and clay, stone, and soil.

Scheme of the structure of the earth together with the lithosphere is represented by the following layers:

• Earth's crust - upper, consisting of sedimentary, basalt, metamorphic rocks and fertile soil. Depending on the location, continental and oceanic crust are distinguished;
• mantle - is located under the earth's crust. Weighs about 67% of the total mass of the planet. The thickness of this layer is about 3000 km. The upper layer of the mantle is viscous, lies at a depth of 50-80 km (under the oceans) and 200-300 km (under the continents). The lower layers are harder and denser. The mantle contains heavy ferruginous and nickel materials. The processes occurring in the mantle are responsible for many phenomena on the planet's surface (seismic processes, volcanic eruptions, the formation of deposits);
• The central part of the land is a core consisting of an inner solid and an outer liquid part. The thickness of the outer part is about 2200 km, and the inner part is 1300 km. Distance from surface d about the core of the earth is about 3000-6000 km. The temperature in the center of the planet is about 5000 Cº. According to many scientists, the core land on the composition is a heavy iron-nickel melt with an admixture of other elements similar in properties to iron.

Important! Among a narrow circle of scientists, in addition to the classical model with a semi-molten heavy core, there is also a theory that an inner star is located in the center of the planet, surrounded on all sides by an impressive layer of water. This theory, in addition to a small circle of adherents in the scientific community, has found widespread use in science fiction literature. An example is the novel by V.A. Obruchev "Plutonium", which tells about the expedition of Russian scientists to the cavity inside the planet with its own small luminary and the world of animals and plants extinct on the surface.

So common with hema of the structure of the earth, including the earth's crust, mantle and core, every year it is more and more improved and refined.

Many parameters of the model will be updated more than once with the improvement of research methods and the advent of new equipment.

So, for example, in order to find out exactly, how many kilometers to the outer part of the core, more years of scientific research will be needed.

At the moment, the deepest mine in the earth's crust, dug by a man, is about 8 kilometers, therefore, the study of the mantle, and even more so the core of the planet, is possible only in theoretical section.

Layered structure of the Earth

We study what layers the Earth consists of inside

Output

Having considered sectional structure of the earth, we were convinced of how interesting and complex our planet is. The study of its structure in the future will help mankind to understand the mysteries of natural phenomena, will make it possible to more accurately predict destructive natural disasters, and to discover new, not yet developed mineral deposits.

Astronomers study space, receive information about planets and stars, despite their great remoteness. Moreover, there are no less secrets on the Earth itself than in the Universe. And today scientists do not know what is inside our planet. Watching how lava pours out during a volcanic eruption, you might think that the Earth is also molten inside. But this is not the case.

Core. The central part of the globe is called the core (Fig. 83). Its radius is about 3,500 km. Scientists believe that the outer part of the core is in a molten-liquid state, and the inner part is in a solid state. The temperature in it reaches +5,000 ° С. Temperature and pressure gradually decrease from the core to the surface of the Earth.

Mantle. The core of the Earth is covered with a mantle. Its thickness is approximately 2,900 km. The mantle, like the core, has never been seen. But it is assumed that the closer to the center of the Earth, the higher the pressure in it, and the temperature - from several hundred to -2,500 ° C. It is believed that the mantle is solid, but at the same time red-hot.

Earth's crust. Our planet is covered with crust on top of the mantle. This is the top solid layer of the Earth. Compared to the core and mantle, the earth's crust is very thin. Its thickness is only 10-70 km. But this is the earthly firmament on which we walk, those-kut rivers, cities are built on it.

The earth's crust is formed by various substances. It is composed of minerals and rocks. Some of them are already known to you (granite, sand, clay, peat, etc.). Minerals and rocks differ in color, hardness, structure, melting point, water solubility and other properties. Many of them are widely used by humans, for example, as fuel, in construction, for the production of metals. Material from the site

Granite

Sand

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Our planet has several shells, is the third from the Sun, and takes the fifth place in size. We invite you to get to know our planet better, to study it in a cross-section. To do this, let's analyze each of its layers separately.

Shells

It is known that the Earth has three shells:

• Atmosphere.
• Lithosphere.
• Hydrosphere.

Even from the name it is easy to guess that the first is of aerial origin, the second is a hard shell, and the third is water.

Atmosphere

This is the gas envelope of our planet. Its peculiarity is that it stretches thousands of kilometers above ground level. Its composition changes exclusively by man and not for the better. What is the significance of the atmosphere? It's like our protective dome, protecting the planet from various space debris, which mostly burns out in this layer.

Protects from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. But, as you know, there are those that appeared exclusively as a result of the vital activity of people. Thanks to this shell, we have a comfortable temperature and humidity. A wide variety of living beings is also her merit. Let's take a look at the layering. Let's highlight the most important and significant ones.

Troposphere

This is the bottom layer, it is also the densest. Right now you are in it. Geonomy, the science of the structure of the Earth, deals with the study of a given layer. Its upper limit varies from seven to twenty kilometers, with the higher the temperature, the wider the layer. If we consider the structure of the Earth in section at the poles and at the equator, then it will be noticeably different, at the equator it is much wider.

What else is important to say about this layer? It is here that the water cycle takes place, cyclones and anticyclones are formed, wind is generated, generally speaking, all the processes associated with weather and climate take place. A very interesting property that applies only to the Troposphere, if you go up one hundred meters, then the air temperature will drop by about one degree. Outside this shell, the law acts exactly the opposite. There is one place between the troposphere and stratosphere where the temperature does not change - the tropopause.

Stratosphere

Since we are considering the origin and structure of the Earth, we cannot miss the layer of the stratosphere, the name of which in translation means "layer" or "flooring".

It is in this layer that passenger liners and supersonic aircraft fly. Note that the air is very thin here. The temperature changes with an increase in altitude from minus fifty-six to zero, this continues until the stratopause itself.

Is there life there?

As paradoxical as it may sound, life forms were discovered in the stratosphere in 2005. This is some kind of proof of the theory of the origin of life on our planet, brought from space.

But perhaps these are mutated bacteria that have climbed such record heights. Whatever the truth, one thing is surprising: ultraviolet light does not harm bacteria in any way, although it is they who die in the first place.

The ozone layer and the mesosphere

Studying the structure of the Earth in section, we can notice the well-known ozone layer. As mentioned earlier, it is he who is our shield from ultraviolet radiation. Let's see where it came from. Oddly enough, but it was created by the inhabitants of the planet themselves. We know that plants produce oxygen that we need to breathe. It rises through the atmosphere, when it encounters ultraviolet radiation, it reacts, as a result, ozone is obtained from oxygen. One thing is surprising: ultraviolet light participates in the production of ozone and protects the inhabitants of the planet Earth from it. In addition, as a result of the reaction, the atmosphere around it heats up. It is also very important to know that the ozone layer borders on the mesosphere, there is no life outside of it and there cannot be.

As for the next layer, it is less studied, since only rockets or aircraft with rocket engines can move through this space. The temperature here reaches minus one hundred and forty degrees Celsius. When studying the structure of the Earth in section, this layer is most interesting for children, because it is thanks to it that we see such phenomena as starfall. An interesting fact is that up to a hundred tons of cosmic dust falls on the Earth every day, but it is so fine and light that it may take up to a month to settle.

It is believed that this dust can cause rain, like emissions from a nuclear explosion or volcanic ash.

Thermosphere

We will find it at an altitude of eighty-five to eight hundred kilometers. A distinctive feature is the high temperature, nevertheless the air is very thin, this is what a person uses when he launches satellites. There are simply not enough air molecules to heat the physical body.

The thermosphere is the source of the northern lights. It is very important: one hundred kilometers is the official border of the atmosphere, although there are no obvious signs. Flying beyond this line is not impossible, but very difficult.

Exosphere

Considering in section, we will see this shell as the last external one. It is located more than eight hundred kilometers above the ground. This layer is characterized by the fact that atoms can easily and freely fly away into the vastness of open space. It is believed that this layer ends the atmosphere of our planet, the height is about two to three thousand kilometers. Recently, the following was discovered: particles escaping from the exosphere form a dome, which is located approximately at an altitude of twenty thousand kilometers.

Lithosphere

It is the hard shell of the Earth, with a thickness of five to ninety kilometers. Like the atmosphere, it is created by substances released from the upper mantle. It is worth paying attention to the fact that its formation continues to this day, mainly at the bottom of the ocean. The basis of the lithosphere is crystals formed after magma has cooled.

Hydrosphere

This is the watery shell of our earth, it is worth noting that water covers more than seventy percent of the entire planet. It is customary to divide all water on Earth into:

• World Ocean.
• Surface waters.
• The groundwater.

There are more than 1300 million cubic kilometers of water on the planet Earth.

Earth's crust

So what is the structure of the earth? It has three constituent parts: atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere. We propose to disassemble what the Earth's crust looks like. The internal structure of the Earth is represented by the following layers:

• Bark.
• Geosphere.
• Core.

In addition, the Earth has gravitational, magnetic and electric fields. Geospheres can be called: core, mantle, lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and magnetosphere. They differ in the density of the substances that make them up.

Core

Note that the denser the constituent substance, the closer to the center of the planet it is. That is, it can be argued that the densest matter on our planet is the core. As you know, it consists of two parts:

• Internal (solid).
• External (liquid).

If we take the entire core completely, then the radius will be about three and a half thousand kilometers. The inside is solid as there is more pressure. The temperature reaches four thousand degrees Celsius. The composition of the inner core is a mystery to mankind, but there is an assumption that it consists of pure nickel-containing iron, but its liquid part (outer) consists of iron with impurities of nickel and sulfur. It is the liquid part of the core that explains to us the presence of a magnetic field.

Mantle

Like the core, it has two parts:

• Lower mantle.
• Top mantle.

Mantle material can be explored due to powerful tectonic uplifts. It can be argued that it is in a crystalline state. The temperature reaches two and a half thousand degrees Celsius, but why doesn't it melt? Thanks to the strongest pressure.

Only the asthenosphere is in a liquid state, while the lithosphere floats in this layer. It has an amazing feature: it is solid under short-term loads, and plastic under long-term loads.