GEOSC 010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 12: Outer Core, Convection, Continental Crust
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12. 1 earth"s internal structure: the earth has three major layers; the crust, the mantle, and the core. These layers can be further divided into zones based on their physical state (liquid or solid) and their strength: gravity separates the contents of the earth by their density. All large planets in our solar system have a dense iron core: gravity also causes density changes with layers. Increased pressure nearer the core causes minerals to become denser: the increase in density comes from the shrinking of atoms under incredible pressure as well as the rearrangement of atoms into a more stable configuration. This is called a mineral phase change and is more common in minerals with negative ions. 12. 2 probing earth"s interior: examining the interior of the earth is no easy task. Large earthquakes (mw greater than 6) generate seismic waves that can be felt by sensitive detectors across the planet: by comparing the readings from different detectors, the composition of the.
