Today in class we talked about plate tectonics and also the many layers of Earth. The earth is composed of four major layers: the inner core, the outer core, the mantle, and the crust. The core in all, composed of various metals such as iron, causes the magnetic field around the planet. The next layer is the mantle which forms convection currents due to rising heat that lead to plate movement. The last layer is the crust which is composed of both continental and oceanic parts. At the beginning of time, the planet was thought to be just one big landmass known as Pangaea, which eventually broke off into the continents due to plates moving. It is important to be familiar with Earth and its history because it gives us an idea of why the planet looks and acts the way it does. This is especially useful for marine biology because it provides reasons for things such as island and ecosystem formations, but also areas that might be of concern to the oceans because of future plate movement. We sure did learn a lot today!!!
