crust!
HOME - TOPICS - ROCK CYCLE - LAYERS OF THE EARTH - THE EARTH'S CRUST - IMPACT - BIBLIOGRAPHY
Layers of the Earth -
Crust - Oceanic - Continental
Mantle
Core - Outer - Inner
Layers of the Earth -
Crust - Oceanic - Continental
Mantle
Core - Outer - Inner
The Earth's crust is the outermost section in the layers of the earth. It is made out of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks as well as aluminium. The thickness of the crust varies from 5 to 40 km. Also for a cool fact; the average age of the current Earth's continental crust has been estimated about 2 billion years.
The temperature of the crust will increase the further you go, reaching temperatures ranging around 200 °C to up to 400 °C near the mantle. However together the upper mantle and asthenosphere make the lithosphere break into different tectonic plates that continuously move. This then makes the temperature increase of a maximum of 30 °C for every km located in or near the upper part of the crust (near mantle).
There are two types of crusts in the layers of the earth oceanic and continental. They are sometimes called the sial and sima. Both these types can be found relatively close to the mantle, but because the continental crust is a lot thicker, it can be viewed under and above the oceanic crust. Thus meaning water can run off the continental crust onto continents and it can also collect water above the oceanic crust.