REVIEWER IN

SCIENCE

1st
Interfaces that mark the boundary
The Earth`s Spheres between the layers of the Earth:
1. Lithosphere – (land portion) 1. Mohorovicic (mo-ho-ro-vi-
- It is the solid part of the earth chich) discontinuity – also
(Rocks & Minerals) known as “Moho”, the interface
2. Hydrosphere – (water portion) between the crust and the
- Liquid part of the Earth (Oceans, mantle.
rivers, etc…) 2. Gutenberg discontinuity –
3. Atmosphere – (Air) marks the boundary between the
- Gas part of the earth (Oxygen, mantle and the outer core.
nitrogen, trace gases…) 3. Lehman or Bullen
The Earth`s Interior discontinuity – interface located
1. Crust - the outermost layer of the earth where between the liquid outer core and
life exists. the solid inner core.
- composed of Alumina (Al2O3) and
Silica (SiO2)
The Continental Drift Theory
Continental Crust – 40-70 km thick and - Alfred Wegener`s Theory that the
continent were once a single
made up of less dense granitic rocks.
supercontinent called “Pangaea” means
Oceanic Crust – 5 km thick and made
“all of earth” or “all lands”.
up of more dense basaltic rocks.
- According to Alfred Wegener, the
continents have drifted around the world
2. Mantle - Semi-solid rocky and very hot layer.
and have once formed a giant land mass
Measuring about 2 900 km thick. - Makes
or supercontinent called Pangaea.
up 80% of the Earth and carries most of the
- To support his theory, he presented a set
earth`s mass.
of geographical, biological, and climatic
- Composed of ferro-magnesium silicate evidence.
rocks. Geographical Evidences
- The top layer of the mantle has a - The jigsaw puzzle fit of the current
temperature of about 9000C continents.
- The coastlines of South America and
 Asthenosphere – part of mantle Africa seem to fit together.
with convection Currents Biological evidence
- The discovery of similar plant and animal
3. Outer Core - the only layer of the Earth that is fossils in different continents separated by
liquid, made up of molten nickel and iron. oceans.
- It is about 2 270 km thick and the - Glossopteris (PLANT FOSSIL) which
temperature ranges from 3 700 to 4 were found in Africa, Australia, India, and
3000C. South America.
Climatic evidence
4. Inner Core - the solid center of the Earth that - Wegener discovered that a glacial period
has a diameter of about 1 220 km and composed occurred during the late Paleozoic era in
mostly of solid iron which gives the planet its Southern Africa, South America, Australia,
magnetic features. and India.
- It is extremely hot with its recently - The glacial period left glacial
determined temperature of about striations or the scratches glaciers
6 0000C make as they move across on the
 -Plate Tectonic Theory
Plate Tectonic Theory
-The lithosphere is composed of many independent massive slabs of solid rocks called plates.
Continental plates – plates under land masses.
Oceanic plates – plates under the ocean.
Properties of Continental and Oceanic Plates
Parameters Continental Plate Oceanic Plate
Composition Granitic rocks which are Basaltic rocks which are
made up of relatively made up of heavier
lightweight minerals such minerals composed of
as quartz and feldspar, silicates and magnesium
both composed of silicates
and aluminum
Density 2.7 g/cm3 2.9 g/cm3
Thickness 25 – 70 km 7-10 km
Age Take a long time to create Constantly renewed; oldest
but are rarely destroyed; are less than 200 million
3.8 billion – 4 billion years years old
old
Range 71% of earth`s surface 29% of earth`s surface

At present there are 15 major tectonic plates consisting of 7 primary plates and 8 secondary plates.
Primary Plates: Eurasian plate, Australian plate, Pacific plate, North American plate, South American plate,
American plate, African plate and Antarctic plate.
Secondary plates: Juan de Fuca, Nazca plate, Cocos Plate, Caribbean Plate, Philippine plate, Arabian plate,
Indian plate, and Scotia plate.

Tectonic plates have the ability to move in relation to one another at 1 cm/year to 10 cm/year on top of
the asthenosphere.
Plate Boundaries Distribution of Active
- Border between 2 plates volcanoes and Mountain
Three types of plate boundaries: Ranges
1. Divergent - Plates moving apart
What is a volcano?
- It is a vent or
2. Convergent - Plates come together fissure in the
planet's crust
3. Transform - Plates slide past one through which
another moving in opposite directions. lava, ash, rock
- also called FAULTS and gases erupt.
- causes earthquakes/tsunamis to Pacific Ring of Fire
occur - It is a very active
volcanic and
earthquake area
outlining the major
ocean trenches in
that area of the
world.
- It includes, New
Zealand, New
Guinea, Japan,
Philippines,
Kamchatka
Peninsula of
Russia, Western
region of United
States, Central
America, Alaska,
Western region of
South America
Alpine-Himalayan Belt
- It reveals the
collision of the
African and Indo-
Australian plates
with the southern
margin of the
Eurasian plate.
- It includes, Sicily,
Italy, Aegean Sea,
Asia Minor, Indian
Ocean, Southeast
Asia, Indonesia