EARTH'S STRUCTURAL LAYERS

The inner core remains solid due to intense ______ from the weight of the overlying rock.

The outer core is a shell of hot, metal, ______ mostly iron with some nickel.

The Earth’s lithosphere is broken up into a patchwork of _______ plates.

• The asthenosphere is made of mantle rock that is soft and flows slowly, often described as having a plastic property.

• The lower mantle consists of strong, ______ mantle rock.

The lithosphere is thickest below the oceans. True or false

The asthenosphere moves at a rate comparable to the hour hand on a clock. True or false

The lower mantle is nearly as plastic as the asthenosphere. True or false

The outer core is responsible for Earth’s magnetic field. True or false

The inner core is liquid. True or false

The Earth’s magnetic field shields the planet from the solar wind. True or false

The inner core’s temperature is about as hot as the surface of the Sun. True or false

The lithosphere includes the crust and some of the upper portion of Earth’s mantle. True or false