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Layers of the Earth Facts & Worksheets

Our home planet, the Earth, may look like one huge rock, but it is actually like an onion when cut through its cross-sectional area - it has different layers with different compositions.

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Our home planet, the Earth, may look like one huge rock, but it is actually like an onion when cut through its cross-sectional area – it has different layers with different compositions. Billions of years ago, Earth was formed from a hot ball of nebula gases and as time goes by, the Earth’s surface cooled down and there emerged different life forms. However, the inner part of the Earth remained very hot.

See the fact file below for more information on the layers of the Earth or alternatively, you can download our 23-page Layers of the Earth worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

CRUST

  • This is where life exists and is covered with different kinds of landforms like mountains, valleys, hills, air, and different bodies of water.
  • This is the cool outer layer of our planet with an average temperature of around 22°C.
  • It is the Earth’s thinnest layer.
  • The crust’s state is solid.
  • Continental crust is composed of granite, sedimentary rocks, and metamorphic rocks.
  • Oceanic crust is made up of iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and aluminum.
  • The continental crust is 8 to 70 kilometers thick and is mostly composed of granite.
  • The ocean bed has a layer beneath it, which is the oceanic crust, that is more or less eight kilometers thick and is mostly composed of a rock called basalt.
  • Igneous rocks are formed from magma (liquid rock) that were cooled and hardened inside the Earth.
  • Metamorphic rocks are the rocks that have been exposed to different factors, such as high pressure and very high temperatures.
  • Sedimentary rocks are formed from broken rocks are formed from chemical sediments and debris.
  • Intrusive rocks are cooled rocks that have risen close to the Earth’s surface.
  • The layers underneath the crust can be investigated by observing how the seismic waves through the Earth behave during and after earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
  • A seismograph is used to measure these waves.

TECTONIC PLATES

  • This is a combination of the crust and the outer mantle – which both make the lithosphere.
  • They move very slowly – so slowly that is measured to only a couple of inches a year.
  • Faults are made when a tectonic plate touches or meets another plate.
  • An earthquake can happen when the plates move and their boundaries bump against each other.

MANTLE

  • The mantle makes up about 85% of the Earth’s weight.
  • It consists of rocks in molten form, just like play-dough.
  • It is made of molten iron, minerals and other semi-solid rocks that will still flow under pressure.
  • Back in 2007, scientists from the Japanese ship called Chikyu drilled up to 23,000 feet (7,000 meters) below the seabed between the Cape Verde Islands and the Caribbean Sea.

UPPER MANTLE

  • Its temperature ranges from 1,400°C – 3,000°C.
  • It has both liquid and solid states.
  • It is mainly composed of iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and aluminum.
  • This layer is 670 kilometers thick below the Earth’s surface.
  • The rocks present in the upper region of this layer are stiffer compared to its lower area because it’s cooler.
  • The lower part of this layer is made up of both solid and melted rock.

LOWER MANTLE

  • The temperature of this layer is around 3,000°C.
  • It’s in a solid state.
  • It is mainly composed of iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, and aluminum.
  • It is 670 to 2,890 kilometers thick below the surface.
  • This layer is made of solid rock.
  • The rocks present in this layer are hot enough to melt, but are in a solid state because of the pressure pushing down on this layer.

OUTER CORE

  • Has a temperature that ranges from 4,000°C to 6,000°C.
  • Its state is liquid.
  • Mainly composed of iron, nickel, sulfur, and oxygen.
  • This liquid layer is about 5,150 kilometers thick.
  • The outer core flows freely around the inner core.

INNER CORE

  • 4.5 billion years ago, when the Earth was formed, the heavy material sunk to the middle and these formed the inner core.
  • The inner core has a temperature that ranges from 5,000°C – 6,000°C and is the hottest part of the Earth.
  • It is in a solid state.
  • It is mainly composed of iron and nickel.
  • It is a huge metal ball that is 2,500 kilometers wide.
  • The metal at the inner core is still solid despite the very high temperature because of the immense pressure surrounding it
  • The spinning of the inner core at a different speed compared to the rest of the planet is the reason behind Earth’s magnetic field.

EARTH’S MAGNETIC FIELD

  • This is the reason why compass needles point to the North Pole regardless of which way you turn.
  • The magnetic field creates a protective barrier around Earth that shields the planet from the sun’s solar winds which are very damaging.
  • Solar winds are streams of charged particles ejected by the Sun.
  • When the magnetic field traps the solar winds, they collide with air molecules above Earth’s magnetic poles.
  • The air molecules with the solar winds begin to glow and creates an aurorae, or also called the northern and southern lights.

Layers of the Earth Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about layers of the Earth across 23 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Layers of the Earth worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the our home planet, the Earth, which may look like one huge rock, but it is actually like an onion when cut through its cross-sectional area – it has different layers with different compositions. Billions of years ago, Earth was formed from a hot ball of nebula gases and as time goes by, the Earth’s surface cooled down and there emerged different life forms. However, the inner part of the Earth remained very hot.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • Layers of the Earth Facts
  • A Layered Earth
  • Four Layers
  • Crust Content
  • What’s The Term?
  • Rock Formations
  • Color The Temperature
  • Two Divisions
  • Core Elements
  • Events on Earth
  • Magnetic Field Review

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Link will appear as Layers of the Earth Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, March 26, 2019

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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