- lithosphere: Made up of the crust and a tiny bit of the upper mantle, this layer is divided up into constantly moving plates of solid rock that hold the continents and the oceans.
- outer core: The only liquid layer of the earth, this layer is made up mostly of iron and nickel. It is located about 2000 miles below the surface.
- crust: The earth’s outermost and thinnest layer, hard and rigid, and only a few miles thick under the oceans and averaging 20 miles thick under the continents.
- mantle: A dense layer subdivided into upper and lower regions made of hot, semisolid rock located directly below the crust and about 1,800 miles thick.
- asthenosphere: Hot, malleable semiliquid in the upper mantle on which the plates of the lithosphere float.
- inner core: The innermost layer, extremely hot and solid, composed of mostly iron and nickel.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of layers of earth worksheet.
