Earths Internal Structure

CVE 3205 Engineering Geology Wong Jee Khai

Early Evolution of Earth

Begins about 14 billion years ago with the Bing Bang, an incomprehensibly large explosion that sent all matter of the universe flying outward at incredible speeds. The debris (H2 & He) began to cool and condense into the first star and galaxies.

Early Evolution of Earth

Formation of the solar system according to the nebular hypothesis which stated that our solar system evolved from an enormous rotating cloud called the solar nebula.

Early Evolution of Earth

1. Dust and gases (nebula) started to gravitationally collapse. 2. The nebula contracted into a rotating disk that was heated by the conversion of gravitational energy into thermal energy. 3. Cooling of the nebular cloud caused rocky and metallic material to condense into tiny particles.

Early Evolution of Earth

4. Repeated collisions caused the dust-size particles to gradually coalesce into asteroid-size bodies. 5. Within a few million years these bodies accreted into the planets.

Early Evolution of Earth

As material accumulated to form earth, the high-velocity impact of nebular debris and the decay of radioactive elements caused the temperature of earth to steadily increase. Iron and nickel began to melt produced liquid blobs of heavy metal that sank toward the centre of earth. (Earths dense iron-rich core)

Early Evolution of Earth

Melting also formed buoyant masses of molten rock that rose toward the surface and solidified to produce a primitive crust. Rocky materials were enriched in oxygen and oxygen-seeking elements (Si, Al, Ca, Na, K, Fe, Mg). Some heavy metals such as gold, lead and uranium that have low melting points were scavenged from earths interior and concentrated in the developing crust.

Early Evolution of Earth

Large quantities of gaseous materials were allowed to escape from earths interior, as happens today during volcanic eruptions.

Earths Internal Structure

When a meteorite impacts a planet or moon, its energy of motion (called kinetic energy) is transformed into heat energy. As Earth grew larger and larger from continual impacts, its temperature increased.

Earths Internal Structure

Radioactive decay of materials like uranium, thorium and potassium also added heat. Because Earth became partly fluid, lessdense molten materials (silicon, aluminum, sodium, and potassium) were freed to migrate toward the surface.

Earths Internal Structure

Denser melted materials, such as molten iron, sank toward the center of the planet. Planet Earth has three main parts:
1. Crust. 2. Mantle. 3. Core (metallic iron, nickel)

Earths Crust
The crust is not uniform. The oceanic crust on average is about 7 km thick and composed of the dark igneous rock basalt. The continental crust on average is about 35 to 40 km thick but may exceed 70 km in mountainous regions and consists of many rock types.

Earths Mantle
Contains > 82% of earths volume. Nearly 2900 km. Can be divided into two different parts, the stiff lithosphere and the weaker asthenosphere.

Earths Mantle
The upper mantle extends from the crustmantle boundary down to 660 km depth. Dominant rock type in the uppermost mantle is peridotite, which is richer in metals magnesium and iron.

Earths Mantle
The lower mantle starts from 660 km depth to the top of the core, at 2900 km depth. The rocks are very hot and capable of very gradual flow.

Earths Core
An iron-nickel alloy with minor amounts of oxygen, silicon and sulfur. Outer core is a liquid layer 2270 km thick. Its the movement of metallic iron within this zone that generates earths magnetic field. Inner core is a sphere having r = 1216 km and is solid due to the immense pressure.

Investigating Earths Interior

How do we know anything about the composition of the core and the mantle? By measuring the time required for earthquake waves to travel through Earth by different paths, we can determine the composition of the materials through which they move.

Investigating Earths Interior

Iron meteorites are believed to be fragments from the core of a small terrestrial planet that was shattered by a gigantic impact.