Lesson Flashcards: Components of Earth

The outermost layer of Earth and the thinnest of all Earth’s layers

Granitic rocks rich in silica and aluminum that form the upper layer of Earth’s crust (forming the majority of the continental crust)

Basaltic rocks rich in silica and magnesium that form the lower layer of Earth’s crust below the sial layer (forming the majority of the oceanic crust)

The crust that extends beneath the continents

The crust that extends beneath the oceans

The solid outer part of Earth that is composed of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle

The lower part of the upper mantle that is partially melted and lies directly beneath the lithosphere

A liquid iron and nickel layer within Earth’s internal structure that lies beneath the mantle

The most central layer of Earth’s internal structure and is composed of solid iron and nickel

When the buoyancy force pushing the crust up equals the gravitational force pulling it toward Earth’s center