Have you ever wondered what is inside the Earth? It looks calm on the surface, but deep inside, amazing things are happening.
The Earth is made of four layers: the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core.
The crust is where we live. It is thin and solid. The mantle is much thicker and very hot. The outer core is made of liquid metal. The inner core is solid and even hotter than the outer core.
These layers move slowly, and sometimes the movement causes earthquakes or forms mountains.
The Earth seems still, but inside, it is always moving and changing.
Vocabulary
crust, mantle, core, solid, liquid, metal, heat, deep, surface, move
IB Thinking Questions
- Which layer do we live on, and why is it important?
- What might happen if the Earth’s layers stopped moving?
- How do Earth’s layers help create mountains?
