why is it difficult to study the formation of the earth and its structure ?
Answers
1) we cannot actually view the interior of the Earth because it is made up of solid rocks.
2) Due to the intense heat and pressure, we can only penetrate up to 12 kilometer into the Earth.
3) The crust is very thick to drill all the way through.
The Earth has a layered structure made up of the core, mantle and crust. The crust and the upper part of the mantle is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates. These move very slowly over the mantle. It is so difficult to study the formation of the Earth and its structure because of the following reasons.
1) We cannot actually view the interior of the Earth because it is made up of solid rocks.
2) Due to the intense heat and pressure, we can only penetrate up to 12 kilometer into the Earth.
3) The crust is very thick to drill all the way through.
As a result scientists can use seismic waves to get an idea of what Earth's interior is really like. Seismic waves are used to provide evidence about Earth's interior because by studying how they travel, we can detect what the Earth's inner portion is all about. The waves' speed and path provide us with details about the earth's structure.