Structure of the Earth
Our planet, the Earth, is not just a big round rock spinning and travelling along the universe.
The Earth keeps some secrets inside.
The Earth is made up of four (4) main layers. These are called: the crust, the mantle, the outer core and the inner core.
The crust (la corteza terrestre)
The crust is the outer layer of the Earth. It is a thin layer between 0 and 60 km thick.
The crust is the solid rock layer upon which we live, here we find the continents and the oceans.
The mantle (el manto)
The Mantle is the middle part and it is the widest section of the Earth. It has a thickness of approximately 2,900 km.
The mantle is made up of semi-molten rock called magma. In the upper parts of the mantle the rock is hard, but lower down the rock is soft and beginning to melt.
The outer core (el núcleo externo)
The outer core is the layer surrounding the inner core.
It is made up of iron and nickel and it is so hot that everything is liquid down there.
The inner core (el núcleo interno)
The Earth's inner core is made up of iron and nickel, just like the outer core, however, the inner core is different. The inner core is so deep within the earth that it's under immense pressure. So much pressure that, even though it is so hot, it is solid.
The inner core is the hottest part of the Earth, around 5000 ºC, is about as hot as the surface of the Sun.
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