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what are earths three basic layers

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Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Earth's three basic layers are the crust, the mantle, and the core.

- Crust: the thin, outermost solid layer (about 5–70 km thick). Continental crust is thicker and granitic; oceanic crust is thinner and basaltic. This is where we live.
- Mantle: about 2,900 km thick, made of dense silicate rocks rich in magnesium and iron (e.g., peridotite). It behaves solid overall but convects slowly; the upper mantle includes a weaker, ductile zone (the asthenosphere).
- Core: extends from about 2,900 km depth to Earth's center (~3,480 km radius). Composed mainly of iron and nickel; the outer core is liquid (driving Earth’s magnetic field) and the inner core is solid. Temperatures reach several thousand degrees Celsius.