Journey to the Centre of the Earth - Phil Wang, Ana Ferreira and Chris Jackson

What It Covers

Scientists explore Earth's internal structure from crust to core, explaining plate tectonics, seismic imaging techniques, volcanic activity, and how these geological processes regulate climate and enable life on our planet.

Key Questions Answered

• •Earth's layered structure: The crust represents only 1% of Earth's volume, extending 7km under oceans and 70km under continents, while the mantle-core boundary sits at 3,000km depth with temperatures reaching 3,000 degrees Celsius and pressures 1,000,000 times atmospheric levels.
• •Seismic imaging methodology: Scientists use earthquakes as natural sound sources, recording waves with global seismometer networks to create CT-scan-like images of Earth's interior, revealing liquid outer core and solid structures based on how different wave types propagate through materials.
• •Plate tectonic carbon cycle: Volcanic eruptions release carbon dioxide that forms Earth's protective atmosphere, while subduction zones consume carbon through fossilized plankton shells, creating a regulatory system that maintains habitable temperatures unlike Venus's runaway greenhouse effect with 90 atmospheres pressure.
• •Large igneous provinces risk: Massive volcanic events called LIPs expel thousands of cubic kilometers of lava over tens of thousands of years, releasing greenhouse gases that fundamentally alter global climate and cause mass extinctions, with Yellowstone identified as a potential future supervolcano site.