4.
Earth's Structure
IEXERCISEI
A. Answer the following
questions :
1. What do you
understand by
Ans. The word Lithosphere has lithosphere?
been taken from
Lethos meaning, 'rock'. It is the outermost layertheofGreek word
the Earth.
31
[Link] the two layers of lithosphere.
Ans. The two layers of lithosphere are Sial and Sima.
3. What do you understand by
mantle?
Ans. Mantle is the second layer of the Earth
between the crust and the
core with its upper boundary marked by Mohorovicic
and its lower boundary marked by the Gutenburg discontinuity
4. What is the position of mantle in the Earth?
discontinuity.
Ans. Mantle is the second layer of the Earth. The depth of the
varies between 35 to 2900 km. Mantle
5. What is core? By what other name is it known as?
Ans. The central part of the Earth is known as Core. It consists of two
layers, outer core and the inner core. The other name of the core
is Barosphere.
6. State the composition of the SIAL layer.
Ans. Sial consists of solid and continental parts of the Earth's
crust.
They are composed of many kinds of rocks which have the
density and composition of granite.
The Granite layer consists of silica and aluminium.
7. State the properties of the core of the Earth.
Ans. Properties of the Core :
It is also called Barosphere.
consists of nife.
It is divided into outer and inner core.
The outer core is in nolten state and inner core is in solid state.
8. What is Earth's crust composed of?
Ans. The Earth's crust consists of two layers:
Sial: is composed of silica and aluminium.
The density of Sial is lesser than Sima.
Sial is a discontinuous layer floating over the continuous layer of
Sima.
Sima: is composed of silica and magnesium.
The density is higher than Sial
It is a continuous layer.
9. What does Nife' mean?
32
Ans. 'Nife' means Nickel and iron which are present in the inner core
of the Earth.
10. Why does the temperature increase as we go down (underground)?
Ans. The temperature increases as we go down because there are three
main sources of heat in the deep earth:
" heat from when the planet formed and accreted, which has not
yet been lost;
frictional heating, caused by denser core material sinking to
the centre of the planet; and
" heat from the decay of radioactive elements.
11. How does Sial differ from Sima?
Sial Sima
is composed of silica and alu- is composed of silica and mag
minium. nesium
The density of Sial is lesser The density of Sima is more
than Sima. than Sial.
Sial is a discontinuous layer. It is a continuous layer.
Floats over the continuous It is below Sial.
layer of Sima.
12. Name the two most important and abundant chemical elements
present in the Earth's crust.
Ans. The two most abundant elements present in the Earth's crust are:
Silicon, aluminium and magnesium.
13. What is meant by Mohorovicic Discontinuity?
Ans. The contact zone of the Crust and Mantle is called Mohorovicic
Discontinuity.
14. What is mantle composed of?
Ans. Mantle is composed of magnesium and iron silicates, along with
substantial quantities of sulphides in the upper mantle and nickel
and iron in the lower mantle.
B. Define the following terms :
1. Crust
Ans. Crust: It is als0 called Lithosphere. It is the outermost layer of
the Earth. It consists of Sial and Sima.
33
2. Mantle Earth between the crust
the second layer of the
Ans. Mantle: Mantle is marked by Mohorovicic
boundary
and the core with its upperboundary marked by the Gutenburg
discontinuity and its lower
discontinuity.
3. Core known as Core. It consists
part of the Earth is
Ans. Core: The central core. The other name of
outer core and the inner
of two layers,
the core is Barosphere.
4. Nife
in the inner core
Ans. Nife: It means nickel and iron which are present
of the Earth.
C. Distinguish between the following pairs :
1. Crust and Core
Crust Core
It is also called Lithosphere. It is also called Barosphere.
It is the outermost layer of the It is the central part of the
Earth. Earth.
2. Sial and Sima
Sial Sima
It is composed of silica and It is composed of Silica and
aluminium. magnesium.
The density of Sial is lesser The density of sima is more
than Sima. than Sial.
Sial is a discontinuous layer. It is a continuous layer.
|It floats over the continuous It is below Sial.
layer of Sima.
