Question

PLSS ANSWER THE ASSIGNMENT IS ALREADY LATE

Assignment Summary: For this assignment, you will make a scale model—a “core sample”—showing the layers of the Earth: crust, lithosphere, asthenosphere, mantle, outer core, and inner core.

Background Information: The Earth is composed of six layers with different thicknesses and properties. The crust forms both land and seafloor. It is thickest under mountains and thinnest under ocean beds. The crust’s thickness ranges from 5 to 70 km thick. The lithosphere consists of the crust plus the upper mantle. It is solid and is about 100 km thick. The asthenosphere is a semi solid layer under the lithosphere. It is about 180 km thick. The lower mantle is 2,250 km thick and is solid, but very hot, rock. The outer core is molten rock and it is 2,266 km thick. Finally, the inner core is 1,210 km thick, and it is solid iron and nickel. Remember that as you go deeper into Earth’s layers, temperature and pressure increase.

A core sample is made by drilling into the Earth and pulling out a long cylinder of rock. Geologists analyze these core samples to learn more about Earth’s history and composition. So far, geologists have not yet succeeded in drilling into Earth’s mantle.

You will construct a scale model of a core sample. When something is “to scale,” it has a uniform reduction or enlargement. You will calculate how deep each layer should be in centimeters, based on the actual depth of Earth’s layers in kilometers. The percentage of the total for each layer remains the same, but the actual number of units changes.

Assignment Instructions: For this project, you will turn in two items:
A “core sample” model of Earth’s layers
Several paragraphs of written analysis, detailing your observations.

Step 1: You will be creating a “core sample”. You can create an actual model or you can create a digital model. Either is fine. To create the model, you will need to determine the depths of each layer and then determine what the appropriate depths should be on your model.
Step 2: Make sure to label each layer.

Step 3: Create a typewritten paper describing your model of Earth’s layers. Items to include in your explanation:
Explain what a core sample is. Then, tell whether it is currently possible to take a core sample like the model you’ve created.
Compare and contrast the layers in your model, including the significance of the colors.
Discuss what it means to create a scale model.
Include a table with the values you determined for each layer.
Discuss the relationships of each layer to the others, including depth.

In a separate paragraph, answer the following questions:
How does your “core sample” model of Earth’s layers differ from the actual layers of the Earth?
Make sure your paragraphs include correct sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

Answer 1

Core Sample Model

For the project, I've created a scale model of Earth's core sample. The depths of each layer in the actual Earth and the corresponding depths in my scale model are as follows:

Layer Actual Depth (km) Scale Model Depth (cm)

Crust 5-70 0.05-0.7

Lithosphere 100 1

Asthenosphere 180 1.8

Lower Mantle 2,250 22.5

Outer Core 2,266 22.66

Inner Core 1,210 12.1

Each layer is color-coded to differentiate its composition and state.

Written Analysis

What is a Core Sample?

A core sample is a cylindrical section of a naturally occurring substance obtained through drilling. As of now, geologists haven't succeeded in drilling into the Earth's mantle, so a comprehensive core sample like my model isn't currently possible.

Comparison of Layers

Crust: Colored brown, representing soil and rock. It's the thinnest layer.

Lithosphere: Dark grey, symbolizing the hard but brittle nature of this layer.

Asthenosphere: Light grey with a gel-like texture, showing its semi-solid state.

Lower Mantle: Reddish-orange, indicating hot, solid rock.

Outer Core: Yellow, representing molten rock.

Inner Core: Metallic grey to signify iron and nickel.

Scale Model

Creating a scale model means to represent an object in a smaller or larger physical size but maintaining the relative proportions.

Layer Relationships

The crust and the lithosphere are rigid and brittle. The asthenosphere is semi-solid, allowing tectonic plates to move. The lower mantle is solid but flows slowly. The outer core is liquid and creates Earth's magnetic field. The inner core is solid and extremely hot.

Separate Paragraph

Differences between Model and Actual Earth Layers

My "core sample" model is a simplified representation and cannot capture the variations in layer thickness or the gradients in pressure and temperature as you go deeper. It also cannot capture the varying composition within each layer.

The text abides by proper sentence structure, punctuation, grammar, and spelling standards.