EARTH'S INTERIOR (Chapter 14) - Lecture Outline

Last updated: 04/08/07

Basic considerations

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Earth's center is 6400 km, deepest well 10 km

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Heat is a driver

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Seismic exploration of the interior

1. Exploring the interior with seismic waves

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Nature of P and S waves

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material and velocity

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properties of materials

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reflection of waves

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refraction of waves

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Shadow zones

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P-wave shadow zone

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S-wave shadow zone
 

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what the P-wave and S-wave data tell us about the materials

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distances between layer interfaces

2. Composition and structure of the Earth

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P- and S-wave velocities change with depth

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Experimental data

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Major subdivisions

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Crust

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Mantle

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Core
 

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Crust

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thin, rigid

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variable thickness

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continental crust

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oceanic crust

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Moho

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isostasy
 

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Lithosphere and asthenosphere

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Crust-Upper mantle couple

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asthenosphere behaves plastically

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low velocity zone significance
 

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Mantle

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solid peridotite

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transition zones

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400-450 km zone

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670-700 km zone

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lower mantle
 

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Outer Core

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Inner Core

3. Earth's internal heat and temperature

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Conduction

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Convection

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Geothermal Gradient

4. 3-dimensional structure of the mantle

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Seismic tomography

5. Earth's magnetic field

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Nature of Earth's magnetic field

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Earth's dynamo

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Magnetic reversals

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paleomagnetism