PHYSICS 20E Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Supercontinent, Silly Putty, Aurora
Document Summary
Atmosphere, ocean, rocky crust, rocky mantel, liquid metal core, solid metal core. The earth"s interior is strongly differentiated into a solid iron inner core and molten iron outer core, and a thick, rocky mantle and thin, rocky crust. The earth"s magnetic field is generated by convection currents in the molten outer core. The earth"s crust is broken into 16 rigid tectonic plates. The plate boundaries are the locations of earthquakes, volcanoes, and the recycling of crustal rocks. 71% of water, 29% is dry land. Earthquakes create seismic waves that pass through the earth. S-waves are shear waves that pass through solids, but are reflected/absorbed by liquid (molten) regions. P-waves and pressure waves that pass through both solid and molten regions. S waves don"t travel through outer (liquid) core. Earth"s molten, conductive core is spinning and churning. Motions of charged particles generate magnetic fields. Changing magnetic fields generate electric fields magnetic dynamo.
