Earth's Core Composition

Both the outer and inner core of the Earth are composed of heavy metals. Recall the two main metals that compose Earth’s inner & outer core. Select ALL correct options: Helium, Aluminium, Iron, Bronze, Nickel, Sulfur. Make sure ALL correct options are selected.

• Aluminium

• Iron

• Nickel

• Bronze

• Helium

Both temperature and pressure (a)   increases with depth in the Earth’s interior.

• Increases

• Decreases

• Remains constant

• Varies

Within the outer core, the (a)   temperature is high enough to melt heavy metals and so this layer is (b)   liquid.

• Liquid

• Solid

• Gas

• Plasma

Within the inner core, the (a)   pressure is high enough to counteract this melting and (b)   squash the inner core into a solid ball.

• high

• low

• medium

• variable

Drag and drop the correct options into the ranking below of Earth’s compositional layers from thinnest to thickest. Match the layers with their correct order:

• Outer Core

• Mantle

• Crust

• Outer Core

• Mantle

• Crust

Select the scientific method most appropriate for locating the Moho and other boundaries between Earth’s layers.

• Gravity mapping

• Seismic data

• X-ray scanning

• Xenolith analysis

Match the following terms with their definitions.

• A scientist who studies the composition and structure of the Earth.

• Geologist

• A person who draws or produces maps.

• Topographic Maps

• Detailed maps which form accurate representations of the Earth’s surface.

• Cartographer

Match the following terms with their definitions.

• Crust

• Large-scale movement of continents.

• Continental Drift

• The semi-molten layer beneath the lithosphere.

• Asthenosphere

• The solid outer part of the Earth.

Complete the passage: The land masses of the Earth do appear like pieces of a broken jigsaw. Following his examination of _______ types and fossilised remains across Africa and South America, Alfred Wegner put together his thoughts on how the continents are fragments of a super-continent he called _______.

• different

• similar

• various

• identical

Complete the passage: The _______ Professor Sam Carey supported this theory following his studies at the University of Sydney. It is now accepted that tectonic plates, which are formed from the rocky surface of the land (the lithosphere), _______ , fuelled by _______ currents, on the partially molten layer of rock underneath called the asthenosphere.

• The correct words to fill in the blanks are: 'notable' for the first blank, 'move' for the second blank, and 'convection' for the third blank.

• The correct words to fill in the blanks are: 'famous' for the first blank, 'shift' for the second blank, and 'thermal' for the third blank.

• The correct words to fill in the blanks are: 'renowned' for the first blank, 'slide' for the second blank, and 'heat' for the third blank.

• The correct words to fill in the blanks are: 'distinguished' for the first blank, 'drift' for the second blank, and 'magnetic' for the third blank.