wiz-icon
MyQuestionIcon
MyQuestionIcon
1
You visited us 1 times! Enjoying our articles? Unlock Full Access!
Question

Why does it hotter as we go deeper into the earth?

why is the inner core of the earth solid and he outer core liquid? In fact the inner core should be liquid as it is hotter.

Open in App
Solution

We know that the Earth is built in layers. The Earth’s crust is not the same thickness everywhere, It is broken into sections which are called tectonic plates.

The temperature of the mantle, the layer beneath the crust, ranges from about 1000 C at the top of the layer to about 4000C in the deepest part of the lower mantle. As a result of its high temperature, the rocky material in the mantle is in what is described as a semi-molten state, which means it flows, though only very slowly. Convection currents slowly move material around within the layer. The tectonic plates virtually float on top of the mantle and move about due to these convection currents.

Other reason may be that there are molten rocks below the surface of earth. This molten material, which is called magma, is ejected out of reservoirs known as magma chambers.

The outer core of the Earth is a liquid layer about 2,266 km thick composed of iron and nickel. The temperature of the outer core is very high. Because of its high temperature, the outer core is a low viscosity fluid. But inner core is in the solid form due to the high pressure. The outer core is not under enough pressure to be solid, so it is liquid even though it has a composition similar to that of the inner core.


flag
Suggest Corrections
thumbs-up
0
Join BYJU'S Learning Program
similar_icon
Related Videos
thumbnail
lock
Volcanoes
GEOGRAPHY
Watch in App
Join BYJU'S Learning Program
CrossIcon