Lecture 28: Inside the Earth
What is the structure of the Earth? What better place to begin our\nexploration of the Solar System then with the best-studied planet, the\nEarth. This lecture discusses the interior structure of the Earth,\nintroducing the idea of differentiation, how geologists map the interior\nof the Earth using seismic waves, and the origin of the Earth's magnetic\nfield. We then discuss the crust of the Earth, which is divided into 16\ntectonic plates, and explore how plate motions driven by convection in\nthe upper mantle have shaped the visible surface of our planet over its\ndynamic history. Recorded 2006 Oct 31 in 100 Stillman Hall on the\nColumbus campus of The Ohio State University.