EOS 110 Study Guide - Final Guide: Seafloor Spreading, Continental Crust, Oceanic Crust

• School: University of Victoria
• Department: Earth and Ocean Sciences
• Course: EOS 110
• Professor: Dower John

Document Summary

Most of what we know about the earth"s interior structure comes from studying seismic waves generated by earthquakes. Two types of seismic waves: p-waves. Induce movement in the same direction that the wave travels. Primary waves cause more damage than secondary waves. Seismic waves are refracted as they travel through different layers in the earth. S-waves get bent around the liquid core because they can only travel through solids. The inner core of earth: 1216km thick, solid, very dense, composed of mainly iron, 4000-5000. The outer core of earth: 2270km thick, liquid, similar composition to the inner core, 3200. The mantle: makes up 70% of earth"s volume, 2885km thick, solid, but less dense than inner core, 1100-3200, composed of rocky magnesium-iron silicates, generally solid, but density differences lead to slow flow. The crust: two kinds of crust: The crust and the upper part of the mantle are referred to as the lithosphere.