Earth's mantle

 

The mantle is the second layer of Earth's make-up and thicker than the crust. It takes up 67% of Earth's mass (containing the most mass of all layers) and has more magnesium and less aluminum/silicon than the crust making the mantle denser. The mantle consists of 3 layers: lithosphere, asthenosphere, and mesosphere. Since scientists cannot reach the mantle, they use rocks found on Earth's surface to learn more about it. To study the mantle, scientists use rocks that have been uplifted or rocks found on the ocean floor from the mantle.

 

SEISMOLOGY

Seismology is the study of earthquakes. Many earthquakes occur near tectonic plates, which are pieces of the outer layer of Earth's make up; they can also be found in the lithosphere (mantle) and move along the top layer of Earth. All tectonic plates can move at many different speeds and in many different directions; they can pass each other, or move into/move away from each other. These movements can cause a fault (when a large portion of rock breaks and one plate moves towards the other) and then create an earthquake. The breaks can produce seismic waves (waves of energy) to move through Earth's interior and around the surface. These seismic waves can be used for recording information on earthquakes.