Why is mantle important

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Share Flipboard Email. Andrew Alden. Geology Expert. Andrew Alden is a geologist based in Oakland, California. He works as a research guide for the U. Geological Survey. Featured Video. Cite this Article Format. Alden, Andrew. Geodesy and the Size and Shape of the Planet Earth. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for ThoughtCo. Peridotite is formed of crystals of olivine green and pyroxene black. Scientists know that the mantle is made of rock based on evidence from seismic waves, heat flow, and meteorites.

The properties fit the ultramafic rock peridotite, which is made of the iron- and magnesium-rich silicate minerals Figure 1. Scientists know that the mantle is extremely hot because of the heat flowing outward from it and because of its physical properties. Convection in the mantle is the same as convection in a pot of water on a stove.

As the core heats the bottom layer of mantle material, particles move more rapidly, decreasing its density and causing it to rise. The upper mantle has soft weak layer called the asthenosphere, which capable of flowing.

This property facilitates the movement of lithospheric plates. Asthenosphere is a part of the upper mantle just below the lithosphere that is involved in plate tectonic movement and isostatic adjustments.

It is called weak layer because it is in liquid state where rock material deforms more readily, and magma formation takes place. The lithosphere is the rocky outer part of the Earth. It is made up of the brittle crust and the top part of the upper mantle. The lithosphere is the coolest and most rigid part of the Earth.

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. The core is primarily composed of iron, with lesser amounts of nickel.

Lighter elements such as sulfur, oxygen, or silicon may also be present. But despite the fact that the boundary between the inner and outer core is approximately as hot as the surface of the sun, only the outer core is liquid. The inner core is solid because the pressure at that depth is so high that it keeps the core from melting. Skip to content Earth consists of three main layers: the crust , the mantle , and the core Figure 3.

Figure 3. Right- crust, mantle, and outer and inner core to scale. Left- Cutaway showing continental and ocean crust, and upper mantle layers. The lithosphere is the crust plus the uppermost layer of the mantle.