Asthenosphere
Published on Nov 25, 2015
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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- Flows like soft plastic
- 2,552-5,432 degrees Fahrenheit
- 100-250 km below the surface
- Composed of iron and magnesium
- Seismic waves determine depth and thickness
Outer core is made of liquid, and has pretty low density, base of the asthenosphere lies at 700 km
FUNCTIONS
- Movement of tectonic plates
- Forms mountains, rift valleys and plateaus
- Helps to form Earth's magnetic field
- Produces the Van Allen Belt*
- Carries the lithosphere
HISTORY
- Founded in 1920s
- By a scientist named J. Barrell
- Greek word asthenis means "weak"
- Confirmed existence in 1960-Chillean earthquake
- Shadow zone* proved asthenosphere was made of liquid
VOCAB
- Shadow zone: Is an area of the Earth's surface where seismographs
- Cannot be detected after an earthquake
- Van Allen belt: one of at least two layers of energetic
- charged particles that is held in place around the
- planet Earth by the Magnetic field
