The metallic nickel–iron outer core is liquid because of the high temperature. However, the intense pressure, which increases towards the inner core, dramatically changes the melting point of the nickel–iron, making it solid.
Why is Earth’s outer core liquid?
Because of its high temperature, modeling work has shown that the outer core is a low-viscosity fluid that convects turbulently. … The outer core is not under enough pressure to be solid, so it is liquid even though it has a composition similar to the inner core. Sulfur and oxygen could be present in the outer core.
Why is the inner core is solid and the outer core is liquid?
Scientists know that the outer core is liquid and the inner core is solid because: S-waves do not go through the outer core. The strong magnetic field is caused by convection in the liquid outer core. Convection currents in the outer core are due to heat from the even hotter inner core.
What is the outer core liquid?
The outer core, about 2,200 kilometers (1,367 miles) thick, is mostly composed of liquid iron and nickel. The NiFe alloy of the outer core is very hot, between 4,500° and 5,500° Celsius (8,132° and 9,932° Fahrenheit).
What do you think is reason why the outer core is liquid while the inner core remains solid Brainly?
However, the PRESSURE on the inner core is greater than the pressure on the outer core and the melting point of iron, the main constituent of the core, INCREASES as the pressure goes up. So, because the pressure effect overrides the temperature effect, the inner core is solidified.
Why is there convection in the outer core?
The Earth’s outer core is in a state of turbulent convection as the result of radioactive heating and chemical differentiation. … Basically, the motion of the electrically conducting iron in the presence of the Earth’s magnetic field induces electric currents.
Why is the inner core solid and the outer core liquid quizlet?
The Earth’s Inner core is solid because there is so much pressure exerted that it can only exist in the solid form. The outer core is liquid iron and nickel. Again, it is very dense but because it is in its liquid form it is less dense than solid and forms the outer core. The outermost layer.
What is the difference between inner core and outer core?
The inner core and the outer core are made up of similar stuff chemically (both are made mostly of iron, with a little nickel and some other chemical elements)–the difference between them is that the outer core is liquid and the inner core is solid.
Why is Earth’s core hot?
There are three main sources of heat in the deep earth: (1) heat from when the planet formed and accreted, which has not yet been lost; (2) frictional heating, caused by denser core material sinking to the center of the planet; and (3) heat from the decay of radioactive elements.
What leads the scientist to the discovery that the outer core is liquid?
Scientists figured out that the outer core must be liquid because S waves do not pass through it, but P waves do. The behavior of P and S waves also indicates that the inner core is solid. The speed of seismic waves also depends on the density of the material through which they are traveling.
How does mantle Convect?
Mantle convection describes the movement of the mantle as it transfers heat from the white-hot core to the brittle lithosphere. The mantle is heated from below, cooled from above, and its overall temperature decreases over long periods of time. All these elements contribute to mantle convection.
What is Earth’s outer layer made of what are they called?
The outermost layer, called the crust, is solid, too. Together, these solid parts are called the lithosphere. Earth’s crust is made up of hard rocks. It is the only part of the Earth that humans see.
What causes convection?
Convection currents occur when a reservoir of fluid is heated at the bottom, and allowed to cool at the top.. Heat causes the fluid to expand, decreasing its density. If there is cooler material on top, it will be more compact and therefore, will sink to the bottom. The heated material will rise to the top.
Why is the outer core the only layer in Earth that is molten group of answer choices?
Why is the outer core the only layer in Earth that is molten? The temperature is high enough but pressure low enough to melt iron.
What characteristic of the outer core makes it unique among the layers of earth?
The outer core is the third layer of the Earth. It is the only liquid layer, and is mainly made up of the metals iron and nickel, as well as small amounts of other substances. The outer core is responsible for Earth’s magnetic field. As Earth spins on its axis, the iron inside the liquid outer core moves around.
What property of the crust allowed it to form as the exterior of the Earth?
What is the definition of planetary differentiation? What property of the crust allowed it to form as the exterior of Earth? Materials that make up the crust are less dense and rose to the top. If the temperature in the Earth generally increases with depth, how is it possible that the inner core is a solid?
Is the outer core thicker than the inner core?
The layers of Earth are: Crust – 5 to 70 km thick. … Outer Core – 2,200 km thick. Inner Core – 1,230 to 1,530 km thick.
How does heat flow through the outer core?
Scientists know that the outer core is liquid and the inner core is solid because: S-waves stop at the inner core. The strong magnetic field is caused by convection in the liquid outer core. Convection currents in the outer core are due to heat from the even hotter inner core.
What is the inner core and outer core made of?
Explanation: The inner core is mainly iron and is thought to be in the form of huge iron crystals. The outer core is liquid and is mainly an iron/nickel alloy. The core also contains small quantities of heavier elements.
What would happen if we drilled to the Center of the Earth?
The strength of gravity at the center of earth is zero because there are equal amounts of matter in all directions, all exerting an equal gravitational pull. … The small amount of momentum you have at this point will cause you to overshoot the center of the earth and keep on moving through the hole.
What is hotter than the Sun?
In terms of temperature, which of the following is hottest? And the answer: lightning. According to NASA, lightning is four times hotter than the surface of the sun. The air around a stroke of lightning can peak at 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit, while the surface of the sun is around 11,000 degrees.
Will the Earth core eventually cool down?
The Earth’s core does, in fact, cool down over time, and eventually it will solidify completely. Since the Earth’s magnetic field (which protects the atmosphere and biosphere from harmful radiation) is generated by molten iron in the core, the solidification of the core might seem quite foreboding.
Why can’t s wave pass through the outer core?
S waves cannot pass through the liquid outer core, but P waves can. The waves are refracted as they travel through the Earth due to a change in density of the medium. … When the waves cross the boundary between two different layers, there is a sudden change in direction due to refraction.
What did Inge Lehmann discover?
Inge Lehmann, (born May 13, 1888, Copenhagen, Denmark—died February 21, 1993, Copenhagen), Danish seismologist best known for her discovery of the inner core of Earth in 1936 by using seismic wave data.
How did scientists determine that the outer core is a liquid quizlet?
How did scientists figure out the outer core was liquid? S-waves can not travel through a liquid, the shadow zone of the S-waves at 103 degrees away from a focus, and that never start again, prove the outer core is liquid.
Why do tectonic plates move?
Tectonic shift is the movement of the plates that make up Earth’s crust. … The heat from radioactive processes within the planet’s interior causes the plates to move, sometimes toward and sometimes away from each other. This movement is called plate motion, or tectonic shift.
Is ocean or lake currents conduction convection or radiation?
The thermal energy of that core is transferred to the surface of the Earth and lower levels of the oceans by conduction. Water in lakes and oceans transfers heat to the surface by convection.
What is convection of the Earth?
The main heat transfer mechanism in the Earth’s mantle is convection, a thermally driven process where heating at depth causes material to expand and become less dense, causing it to rise while being replaced by complimentary cool material that sinks.
What is the only entirely liquid layer of the Earth?
Inner and Outer Core
The outer core is the only entirely liquid layer within the Earth.
How thick is the outer core?
Unlike the yolk of an egg, however, the Earth’s core is actually made up of two distinct parts: a 2,200 km-thick liquid outer core and a 1,250 km-thick solid inner core. As the Earth rotates, the liquid outer core spins, creating the Earth’s magnetic field.
What do you think will happen if Earth’s outermost shell is no longer in motion?
Subduction zones will no longer exist, so while earthquakes will still happen every now and then, truly earthshattering events above magnitude 7 or so will be consigned to history. At the same time, much of the world’s explosive volcanism would be extinguished—although volcanoes would not be entirely snuffed out.
What are two reasons why water moves down in the North Sea?
This motion is caused by a combination of thermohaline currents (thermo = temperature; haline = salinity) in the deep ocean and wind-driven currents on the surface. Cold, salty water is dense and sinks to the bottom of the ocean while warm water is less dense and remains on the surface.
What are the three main sources of convection?
The primary sources of thermal energy for mantle convection are three: (1) internal heating due to the decay of the radioactive isotopes of uranium, thorium, and potassium; (2) the long-term secular cooling of the earth; and (3) heat from the core.
What is convection in simple words?
convection, process by which heat is transferred by movement of a heated fluid such as air or water. … Such convection currents primarily move vertically and account for many atmospheric phenomena, such as clouds and thunderstorms.
Why is inner core solid and outer core molten?
Earth´s inner core and outer core are both made of an iron-nickel alloy. … As you go deeper in the Earth both temperature and pressure increases. Although the inner core is very hot, it is solid because it is experiencing very high pressure. The pressure in the outer core is not high enough to make it solid.
Why is the Earths mantle liquid?
The mantle makes up 84% of the Earth by volume, compared to 15% in the core and the remainder being taken up by the crust. While it is predominantly solid, it behaves like a viscous fluid due to the fact that temperatures are close to the melting point in this layer.