Earth's Interior and Surface

Earth, the largest and densest rocky planet, was formed about 4.5 billion years ago. The Earth's interior is divided into four layers, which is typical of rocky planets. Each layer has different characteristics and is made of different elements and minerals.

There are many different types of features on Earth’s surface due to the complexity of our planet. The surface is unique from the other planets because it is the only one which has liquid water in such large quantities. Water forms some features of Earth's surface such as rivers, oceans, beaches and lakes. Other surface features, such as mountains, earthquakes and volcanoes, are formed when large pieces of the Earth’s outer layer move slowly by plate tectonics.

Bison roaming on mixed grass prairie - a type of <a href="/earth/grassland_eco.html&dev=">grassland</a> - at Wind Cave National Park (U.S.). Over one quarter of the Earth's surface is covered by grasslands. Grasslands are found on every continent except <a href="/earth/polar/polar_south.html&dev=">Antarctica</a>, and they make up most of Africa and Asia. Grasslands develop where there isn't enough rain for <a href="/earth/forest_eco.html&dev=">forests</a> but there is too much rain for <a href="/earth/desert_eco.html&dev=">deserts</a>. Grasslands are filled with - you guessed it - grass.<p><small><em> National Park Service</em></small></p>Rainforest vegetation on the Caribbean island of Dominica. <a href="/earth/rainforest.html&dev=">Tropical rainforests</a> are home to thousands of species of animals, plants, fungi and microbes. Scientists suspect that there are many species living in rainforests have not yet been found or described. Rainforests get their name because they receive a lot of rain - an average of 80 inches (203 cm) a year!<p><small><em> NBII Digital Image Library - Randolph Femmer, photographer</em></small></p>Gold or Fool's Gold? There are two easy ways to tell Fool's Gold, the <a href="/earth/geology/min_intro.html&dev=">mineral</a> <a href="/earth/geology/min_pyrite.html&dev=">pyrite</a>, from real gold. First, pyrite leaves a black streak on a white tile whereas gold leaves, well, a gold streak. Also, pyrite is much harder than gold. Pyrite is made up of the <a href="/earth/geology/periodic_table.html&dev=">elements</a> iron (Fe) and sulfur (S). Both of these two elements are among the <a href="/earth/geology/crust_elements.html&dev=">eight most abundant</a> in the <a href="/earth/interior/earths_crust.html&dev=">Earth's crust</a>.<p><small><em> Courtesy of Corel</em></small></p>This is the Barringer Meteor Crater in Arizona. The diameter is 1.2 kilomters, and it is 49,000 years old. Compared with other planets, <a href="/earth/Interior_Structure/crater.html&dev=">impact craters</a> are rare <a href="/earth/Interior_Structure/surface_features.html&dev=">surface features</a> on Earth. There are two main reasons for the low number of craters. One is that our <a href="/earth/Atmosphere/overview.html&dev=">atmosphere</a> burns up most <a href="/our_solar_system/meteors/meteors.html&dev=">meteoroids</a> before they reach the surface. The other reason is that Earth's surface is <a href="/earth/interior/plate_tectonics.html&dev=">continually active</a> and erases the marks of craters over time.<p><small><em>D. Roddy and LPI</em></small></p>Hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean are located at tectonic <a href="/earth/interior/seafloor_spreading.html&dev=">spreading ridges</a>. While most of the water in the deep ocean is close to freezing, the water at hydrothermal vents is very hot and laden with chemicals. In this <a href="/earth/extreme_environments.html&dev=">extreme environment</a>, certain species of <a href="/earth/Life/archaea.html&dev=">Archaea</a> and <a href="/earth/Life/classification_eubacteria.html&dev=">Eubacteria</a> thrive, enabling a unique <a href="/earth/Water/life_deep.html&dev=">food chain</a> including fish, shrimp, giant tubeworms, mussels, crabs, and clams.<p><small><em> Courtesy of NASA</em></small></p>Sinkholes are <a href="/teacher_resources/main/frameworks/esl_bi8.html&dev=">natural hazards</a> in many places around the world. They are formed when water dissolves underlying <a href="/earth/Water/carbonates.html&dev=">limestone</a>, leading to collapse of the surface. Hydrologic conditions such as a lack of rainfall, lowered water levels, or excessive rainfall can all contribute to sinkhole development. On 2/28/2013, a sinkhole suddenly developed under the house outside of Tampa, Florida, leading to the tragic death of its occupant, Jeff Bush.<p><small><em>Image courtesy of Southwest Florida Water Management District</em></small></p>

Explore Earth's Interior and Surface

Interior

Earth has a diameter of about 12,756 km (7,972 mi). The Earth's interior consists of rock ...Read more

Surface

Most of the Earth's surface (70%) is covered with water, and the remaining 30% is taken up ...Read more

Surface Features

This image of the surface of the Earth shows the North and South American continents, as well ...Read more

Earthquakes

The expression "on solid ground" is often used to describe something as stable. Usually the ...Read more

Volcanoes

There are several ways in which a volcano can form, just as there are several different kinds ...Read more

Plate Tectonics

The main force that shapes our planet's surface over long amounts of time is the movement of ...Read more

Elements

An element (also called a "chemical element") is a substance made up entirely of atoms having ...Read more

Geology

Geology means, literally, the study of the Earth. Explore this section to understand the structure ...Read more

Biomes and Ecosystems

Biomes are large regions of the world with similar plants, animals, and other living things ...Read more

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Did you know?

What are dip-slip and transform faults? Find out more on our geologic fault page!

Do you know why volcanic ash is a problem for air travelers?

 

Earth and Space Science Concept of the Day

Do you know what this word or phrase means?

Tuff
xTuff : A type of rock consisting of consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during a volcanic eruption

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Research Highlights

Pollution from Asia Circles Globe at Stratospheric Heights

Air pollution can get high in the atmosphere – high above most of the clouds you see in the sky. Scientists are finding air pollution like black carbon, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides more than 2...Read more


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