Explain Two Ways Scientists Learned About Earth's Interior

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Plate Tectonics There were two main ways scientists learned about Earth’s interior. One way scientists learned about Earth’s interior was through rock samples. Scientists drilled rocks underneath Earth’s surface, and compared them to the ones on Earth’s surface. Another way scientists learned about Earth’s interior was through seismic waves. With seismic waves, scientists study how they traveled through Earth, and their speed and path. These are the two main ways how scientists learned about Earth’s interior. Crust, Mantle, and Core Inside Earth, there are three main layers. One of the layers inside Earth is the crust. The crust is the outer layer (of the three layers), and is only 5-70 kilometers thick. This layer includes dry land and ocean floors. Another layer is the mantle. The mantle is the second layer, and is made of solid, hot rock. This layer is 3,000 kilometers thick, and has three layers. Finally, the last layer is the core. The …show more content…

One way Alfred Wegener proved his theory of continental drift was through land features. He realized that the coal fields, mountain ranges, and continents matched, and he attempted to put the continents together (like a puzzle). The second way Wegener proved his theory was through fossils. He found three fossils called Glossopteris (a fern like plant), Mesosaurus, and Lystrosaurus. Glossopteris was found in rocks in Africa, South America, Australia, India, and Antarctica, while Mesosaurus and Lystrosaurus were found on continents separated by oceans. Finally, the third way Wegener proved his theory continental drift was through climate zone. Wegener looked at climates from the past, and had found tropical plants living in Spitsbergen (an island in the arctic). He assumed that a island in the arctic, used to have a warm climate. In conclusion, the three ways Wegener proved his theory continental drift was through land features, fossils, and climate

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