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The Magnicent Earth's Surface

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One other aspect of the magnificent earth is the surface itself. The layers of the Earth are very different in their composition. The crust, mantle, and core of the earth are all very fascinating. Also, a theory called plate tectonics attempts to explain many phenomena that occur on the surface of the earth, such as earthquakes. Some properties of the earth's surface are its layers, the plate tectonics theory, and earthquakes. The layers of the earth are very complex. These layers are the crust, mantle, and core (Wile 132). The core is divided into two regions: the inner core and the outer core (Wile 131). Earth's crust is defined as “Earth's outermost layer of rock” (Wile 132). The thickness of the crust averages 55 to 12 miles (Wile 132). In addition to rock, the crust of the earth contains soil and sediment (Wile 132). “Sediment” is defined as “small, solid fragments of rock and other materials that are carried and deposited by wind, water, or ice” (Wile 132). Sedimentary rock is also found on the earth's crust. “Sedimentary rock” is “rock formed when chemical reactions cement sediments together, hardening them” (Wile 133). Igneous rock, “rock that forms from molten rock”, is also found in the crust (Wile 133). Melted rock that cools and re-solidifies becomes igneous rock (Wile 133). The last kind of rock in the crust is called meromorphic rock (Wile 133). This is “igneous or sedimentary rock that has been changed into a new kind of rock as a result of great pressure

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