First Children's Encyclopedia by Dorling Kindersley - page 250

248
Earth is the only planet in the Solar
System that can support life, because
it’s just the right distance from the Sun.
Our amazing world is a huge ball of
liquid rock with a solid surface.
Earth’s structure
Life-support systems
Earth’s atmosphere and
its surface water play
an important role in
supporting life. They
help keep our planet at
just the right temperature
by absorbing the Sun’s
heat and moving it
around the world.
What is the world’s tallest mountain range?
Planet Earth
Mantle
Crust
Core
Inside the Earth
If you could cut the Earth open, you’d
see it’s made up of layers. The thin top
layer, where we live, is called the crust.
Underneath is a layer of syrup-like rock
called the mantle, then an outer core of
molten (liquid) iron and nickel. At the
centre is a solid iron-and-nickel core.
Seen from space, Earth is a mass
of blue oceans and swirling clouds.
Outer
core
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