2.2 Eath's Interior

Front

What is convection?

Back

Convection is the process of heat-driven cycling in fluids (liquids and gases) where cooler areas become denser and sink, while warmer areas become less dense and rise, transferring energy through the material.

Front

What is the continental crust?

Back

The continental crust is the layer of the Earth that contains all rock types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. It forms the continents, shallow seabeds, and continental shelves.

Front

What are tectonic plates?

Back

Tectonic plates are large slabs of rock that divide Earth's crust and move constantly, reshaping the Earth's landscape.

Front

What is a meteorite?

Back

A meteorite is a space rock that falls to Earth's surface.

Front

What is the mesosphere in Earth's interior?

Back

The mesosphere is the lower mantle, a solid, more brittle physical layer of the Earth located below the asthenosphere.

Front

What is the asthenosphere?

Back

The asthenosphere is a semi-fluid layer of the mantle located below the lithosphere, allowing tectonic plates to move.

Front

What is the lithosphere?

Back

The lithosphere is the rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle.

Front

What is the inner core?

Back

The inner core is the solid, innermost layer of the Earth, composed mainly of iron and nickel, and is extremely hot.

Front

What is the outer core?

Back

The outer core is the liquid layer of the Earth located beneath the mantle and above the inner core, composed mainly of iron and nickel.

Front

What is thermal energy?

Back

Thermal energy is the energy that comes from the temperature of matter, which is the total kinetic energy of particles in a substance.