Earths interior

Front

What is the Earth's inner core?

Back

The Earth's inner core is a solid sphere composed mainly of iron and nickel, located at the center of the Earth.

Front

What is the Earth's outer core?

Back

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

Front

What is the mantle?

Back

The mantle is the thick layer of rock between the Earth's crust and outer core, composed of silicate minerals.

Front

What is the crust?

Back

The crust is the outermost layer of the Earth, consisting of solid rock and soil.

Front

What is density?

Back

Density is the mass of a substance divided by its volume, often determining whether it will float or sink in a fluid.

Front

What are P-Waves?

Back

P-Waves, or primary waves, are seismic waves that can travel through solids and liquids, and are the fastest seismic waves.

Front

What are S-Waves?

Back

S-Waves, or secondary waves, are seismic waves that can only travel through solids and are slower than P-Waves.

Front

What are surface waves?

Back

Surface waves are seismic waves that travel along the Earth's surface and typically cause the most damage during an earthquake.

Front

What is an earthquake?

Back

An earthquake is the shaking of the Earth's surface caused by the sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere.

Front

What is a seismic wave?

Back

A seismic wave is an elastic wave generated by an earthquake or other seismic sources, traveling through the Earth.