Ch. 2, Sect. 1

A

Living

Planet

Key Terms

• Continent

• Solar System

• Core

• Mantle

• Magma

• Crust

• Atmosphere

• Lithosphere

• Hydrosphere

• Biosphere

• Continental Drift

The Solar System

The Solar System consists of the sun and eight* (8) known

planets, as well as other celestial bodies that orbit the sun. The earth is 93 million miles from the sun. *(Pluto was

downgraded from a planet to a “dwarf planet”)

The Structure of the Earth

Structure of the Earth (cont.)Structure of the Earth (cont.)

Inside the Earth:Inside the Earth:

• Core: solid metallic center made up of iron & nickel.

• Mantle: soft layer of molten rock about 1800 miles thick.

• Magma: is created when the mantle melts the underside of the crust.

• Crust: thin layer of rock at the earth’s surface.

Structure of the Earth (cont.)Structure of the Earth (cont.)

On and above the Earth:

• Atmosphere: layer of gasses that surround

the earth.

• Lithosphere: the solid rock portion of the earth’s surface.

• Hydrosphere: is made up of the water elements on the earth.

• Biosphere: the part of the earth where plants and animals live

Continental Drift• Dr. Alfred Wegener of Germany, in

1912.

• Stated that the Earth was once a super-continent that divided and slowly drifted apart over millions of years.

• This super-continent was called Pangaea, which means “all earth”.

In the beginning, PANGAEA

PANGAEA

The World Today…