The Earth's mantle is approximately 2,900 kilometers (1,802 miles) thick.
Earth's Mantle: A Deep Dive
The mantle is a significant part of our planet, situated between the Earth's core and crust. It constitutes a substantial portion of Earth's volume, making up about 84 percent of the total. While predominantly solid, its semi-solid nature allows for the slow movement of tectonic plates, driving processes like earthquakes and volcanic activity.
Several sources corroborate this thickness:
- National Geographic: States that the mantle is about 2,900 kilometers thick. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/mantle
- USGS: Describes the mantle as a dense, hot layer of semi-solid rock approximately 2,900 km thick. https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/dynamic/inside.html
- Wikipedia: Confirms a thickness of 2,900 kilometers (1,800 mi), representing approximately 46% of Earth's radius and 84% of its volume. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth%27s_mantle
It's important to note that while we can't directly measure the mantle's thickness, scientists use seismic wave data to indirectly determine its dimensions.