• Discover The Layers of the Earth • Learn The Structure of the Earth • 
  • Discover The Layers of the Earth • Learn The Structure of the Earth • 
  • Discover The Layers of the Earth • Learn The Structure of the Earth • 
  • Discover The Layers of the Earth • Learn The Structure of the Earth • 
  • Discover The Layers of the Earth • Learn The Structure of the Earth • 
  • Discover The Layers of the Earth • Learn The Structure of the Earth • 
  • Discover The Layers of the Earth • Learn The Structure of the Earth • 
  • Discover The Layers of the Earth • Learn The Structure of the Earth • 

Discover Science

The Layers of the Earth

Crust

The crust is the Earth’s outermost solid layer. It makes up less than 1% of Earth’s total volume, but it is where all life exists and where geological processes shape landscapes.

Continental Crust
This part of the crust forms the continents. It is thicker (averaging 30–70 km) and less dense, composed mainly of granite, feldspar, and other light silicate rocks. Because of its buoyancy, continental crust sits higher, forming landmasses.

Oceanic Crust
Found beneath the oceans, this crust is thinner (about 5–10 km thick) but denser, made mostly of basalt and gabbro. Its density causes it to sink lower, creating ocean basins. Oceanic crust is also younger on average because it is continuously recycled at subduction zones.

Mantle

The mantle lies beneath the Earth’s crust and extends about 2,900 km deep. It makes up around 84% of Earth’s volume, composed mainly of silicate minerals rich in magnesium and iron. Even though it is solid, it behaves like a very slow-moving fluid over long periods due to intense heat and pressure.

Upper Mantle
Extends from the base of the crust to about 410 km deep. The uppermost part, along with the crust, forms the lithosphere (rigid outer shell). Below that lies the asthenosphere, a softer, plastic-like layer where convection currents occur. These currents drive plate tectonics, causing earthquakes, volcanic activity, and mountain building.

Lower Mantle
Extends from 660 km to about 2,900 km deep. It is hotter and more pressurized, but still solid. The rocks here are denser and flow more slowly. The lower mantle helps transfer heat from the Earth’s core to the surface.

Core

The core is the deepest layer of the Earth, starting about 2,900 km below the surface. It is mainly composed of iron and nickel and is divided into two distinct parts: the outer core and the inner core.

Outer Core
This layer is liquid, made of molten iron and nickel. Its constant movement produces Earth’s magnetic field, which shields the planet from harmful solar radiation and makes compass navigation possible.

Inner Core
Found at the very center, the inner core is solid because of the extreme pressure, even though temperatures reach more than 5,000 °C. It is a dense ball of iron and nickel that slowly grows as Earth cools, releasing heat that drives convection in the mantle.

The crust is less than 1% of Earth’s volume
< 0 %
of Earth’s surface is covered by oceanic crust
0 %
The mantle makes up about 84% of Earth’s volume.
0 %
Core can reach as hot as the sun's surface
1000 °C

Myths vs Science

MYTH


The Greeks believed that just beneath the ground lay the Underworld, a realm ruled by Hades, where souls of the dead resided.

SCIENCE


The crust is Earth’s thin, rocky outer layer (<1% of Earth’s volume), split into continental (30–70 km thick) and oceanic (5–10 km thick) plates. Movements of these plates explain earthquakes and volcanoes.

MYTH


Earthquakes were seen as the wrath of Poseidon, the god of the sea, striking the ground with his trident to shake the land.

SCIENCE


The mantle, making up 84% of Earth’s volume, slowly circulates due to heat. These convection currents drive plate tectonics, creating earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains.

MYTH


Ancient myths imagined fiery realms at the center of Earth like Tartarus, a prison for the wicked, burning with heat and fire.

SCIENCE


The outer core (liquid iron and nickel) creates Earth’s magnetic field, protecting life from solar radiation. The inner core, a solid sphere of iron-nickel at 5,000–6,000 °C, is as hot as the Sun’s surface.