08 The Nature of the Earth

8.1 The structure of the earth

The earth we live on is the third planet from the sun in the solar system.
Uranus Naptune
Saturn

Mars Sun
Mercury
Venus

Earth
Jupiter

Figure 8.1 Solar System

When compared to other planets of the solar system, the earth looks more
beautiful because there are mountains, rivers, oceans, flora and forests
on it. Since they are favourable environmental conditions, there is life
on earth. The other planets are lifeless because of the non-existence of
such environmental conditions.

Figure 8.2 Different types of environments on the earth

What is the nature of the inner part of this beautiful earth?

Geologists obtain information about the nature of the inner part of earth
using different methods.

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In times of volcanic eruptions, different types of rocks are brought to the
surface of the earth. By examining them, geologists obtain information
about the inner part of the earth.
Geologists receive more information about the nature of the inner part
by examinning earthquakes. During earthquakes huge rock movements
within the earth give rise to seismic waves. These waves reach the
surface of the earth by running through various layers of the earth.
Seismometers are installed in different stations of the earth. Seismic
waves are automatically marked by these seismometers. (A Seismometer
is installed in Pallekelle, Sri Lanka.) The speed of seismic waves
running through various layers of the earth are different. Information
about internal layers of the earth can be obtained by measuring those
speeds.
That information has helped to Crust
discover that the inner part of
the earth consists of several
layers different from each
other. Core

As shown in Figure 8.3, the

Mantle
inner part of the earth can be
divided into three layers. They Figure 8.3 Cross Figure 8.4 Cross
are core, mantle and crust. section section of a hard boiled
of the Earth egg
It is a replica of a hard boiled egg cut across from top to bottom. The
inner parts of earth can be compared to this replica of an egg.
Egg york Core
Egg white Mantle
Egg shell Crust
Information on the structure of the earth from its surface to the core are
given below.

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 Crust
The surface of the earth where life exists is the crust. When compared
with the size of the earth, it is a thin layer. Mountains, plains and oceans
are found on the crust. Its thickness varies from place to place. At the
bottom of the oceans its thickness is about 5 km. On land its thickness
is about 35 km. The earths crust consists of rocks and soil. It is made up
of basic elements like oxygen, silicon and aluminium.
The earths crust provides most of the elements necessary for our
sustenance.
e.g.:- Construction materials
Metals
Fossil fuel
Soil for agriculture
Mantle
Underneath the earths crust lies Crust
the mantle. Its thickness is about Mantle
2900 km. It consists of rocks. These Outer Core
rocks contain oxygen, silicon, Inner
magnesium and iron. The upper part Core
consists of solid rocks. The lower
part is made up of molten rocks due
to extreme hot environment. Figure 8.5 a Inner nature of the
earth
Core
The innermost part of the earth is the core. 2900 km
Its thickness is about 3500 km. The upper
part of it is made up of molten iron and 2400 km

nickel metals. The temperature of this area is 1100 km

between 4400 oC - 5000 oC.

Due to high pressure, the lower part of the core

remains hard. Its temperature is more than
5000 oC which is as high as the temperature Figure 8.5 b Thickness of
on the surface of the sun. the inner layers of the earth

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 Table 8.1 Layers of the earth
Part of Thickness Composition Elements Special
the earth present Information
Crust Deep bottom Rocks Silicon Very thin
of oceans 5km Soil Aluminium layer
Land 35km Oxygen
Mantle 2900km Solid Rocks Silicon Upper part
and Magnesium consists of solid
rocks
Molten Rocks Iron
due to high
Oxygen temperature
Molten rocks
are in the lower
part
Core 3500km Upper part Molten Temperature
consists of iron and between
molten, iron nickel 4400-5000 oC
and nickel
metals

Activity 8.1
Preparation of a replica of the internal structure of the earth
You will need :- 35 x 35 cm piece of cardboard, saw dust, paint in
three colours, glue
Method :-
●● Draw a circle with a radius of 1 cm at the centre of the cardboard.
●● Draw a circle with a radius of 7 cm which is concentric with the
above circle.
●● Draw another circle with a radius of 13 cm which is concentric
of above two circles.
●● Now you will get a Figure like 8.5 b.
●● Put saw dust in three colours.
●● Paste them on three layers and name them.
Now show your creation to the teacher.

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 Activity 8.2
Preparation of a three dimentional replica of the internal
structure of the earth
You will need :-
Clay in three colours, a sharp knife

Method :-
●● Make a globe of the size of a lime using clay of one colour.
●● Taking a half of the diameter of the previous globe, paste a
separate coloured layer of clay on the top of the globe.
●● On the top of the second clay layer, paste a different colour of
clay layer which is thin as much as possible.

Figure 8.6 Model of the internal structure of the earth

●● Use a sharp knife and cut the clay globe you made into two equal
halves.
●● The above cross section of the clay globe shows how inner layers
are placed. Show it to your teacher.

Assignment 8.1
Prepare the model made in Activity 8.2 using clay/ Polystyrene/ paper
pulp. Cut them into two equal halves and examine the cross section of
the models.

8.2 Tectonic plate and plate tectonics

Figure 8.7 shows an earth map of a strong earthquake on 25th April
2015 in Katmandu, Nepal. Thousands of people died and thousands of
112 Science| The nature of the earth
people. got injured, while thousands of people were left homeless. This
earthquake occurred on the Eurasian and Indian plate margins. Two
destructive earthquakes have been recorded in the year 1905 and 1934
in this area.
-News on Internet-
China

Tibet

Nepal
Mount Everest

Pokhara

Bhuthan
Kathmandu

India

Bangaladesh

Figure 8.7 Location of earthquake on 25-04-2015

Europian tectonic plate North American

The surface layer of the Phillipine tectonic plate
earth is the crust. The tectonic
crust is divided into plate Pacific tectonic
plate
sections called tectonic Africa
South
tectonic
plates. These tectonic plate Austrailian-Indian American
plates move relatively tectonic plate tectonic
plate
to each other. Antartica tectonic plate

Figure 8.8 Tectonic plates of the earth

Assignment 8.2
Study the map in Figure 8.8. It shows the tectonic plates of the earth.
Find tectonic plates near Sri Lanka, India and Nepal.

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 Tectonic plates move relatively to each other in three ways.
a) According to the Figure 8.9 a two plates
move apart. As a result, a deep gulf could (a)
occur.
b) According to the Figure 8.9 b one plate
moves upward by pressing down the other.
An earthquake could occur in this instance.
c) According to Figure 8.9 c two plates slide
past each other. earthquakes could occur in (b)
this instance too.
Tectonic plates move very slowly. It is 1 - 2 cm
per year. (c)
Plate movements can be recognized on plate
margins. Most of the plate boundaries or
margins are at the bottom of the sea. When they
occur on land they can be easily recognized.
One such plate margin is located in North
Figure 8.9
America. It is known as San Andreas Fault. It
is visible in a birds eye view/an aerial view as a fracture of 1000 km in
length in the state of California.

The North American

Plate and the Pacific
Plate are situated on
either side of this
tectonic boundary. These
two plates slide past each
other for about 2.5 cm per
year. On these tectonic
boundary earthquakes
Figure 8.10 San Andreas Fault occur frequently.

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Tectonic plates float on the molten rocks
of the lower mantle. Because of the
movement on the molten rocks plate,
tectonics also move.

Figure 8.11 How tectonic

plates slide
Assignment 8.3
Do a literature search to find out the geological history of the earth and
prepare a report. Use the internet, reports on geological findings and
geographical books.

Activity 8.3
Demonstrating the activity of plate
tectonics
You will need :-
A yellow coloured orange with a thick
skin, a knife
Method :-
●● Cut the orange with the skin into Figure 8.12 Replicate plate
tectonics using an orange
different shapes.
●● Keep the orange between the two
palms.
●● Then slowly press the orange while observing the movement of
parts of the peels.

For extra knowledge

In 2004, Tsunami brought severe destruction to the coastal areas of
Sri Lanka. This happened because of an earthquake occurred near
the Sumatra Island due to collision of tectonic plates.

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 Now you can understand that the earths crust where we live is not an
immovable thing.

Summary
●● In the solar system, the earth is the most suitable planet for the
living beings.
●● The inner part of the earth consists of three layers; the core, the
mantle and the crust.
●● The earths crust consists of tectonic plates which move relatively
to each other.
●● Tectonic plate margins consist of volcanoes and constant
earthquakes occur near them.

Exercise
1. A cross section of an avacado is
shown here.
A cross section of the earth consists
of core, mantle and crust. Which
sections of the avacado corresponds
with above three areas?
2.
I) Name four resources obtained by man from the earth crust.
II) On which tectonic plate Sri Lanka is situated? Why severe
earthquakes do not occur in Sri Lanka?
III) State two methods used by geologists to obtain information about
the internal structure of the earth.
IV) State three countries where earthquakes occur frequently.

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 Technical Terms
Core - yrh - APo
Mantle - m%djrKh - ö©ß‰i
Crust - lfnd, - Kk
Rocks - mdIdK - £õøÓPÒ
Tectonic plates - N+ ;eá - ¦ÂzuPkPÒ
Plate tectonics - N+ ;eá p,kh - ¦Âz uPmi¯UP®
Earthquakes - N+ lïmk - {»|kUP®
Seismic waves - N+ lïmk ;rx. - {»|kUP Aø»PÒ
Seismometer - N+ lïmkudkh - {»|kUP©õÛ
Volcanoes .sks l÷ G›©ø»PÒ

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