Which layer is a shell of molten iron and nickel that surrounds the inner core?

• A. Crust
• B. Mantle
• C. Inner Core
• D. Outer Core

Answer: (D)

The outer core is the shell of molten iron and nickel surrounding the inner core. Deep inside Earth, the solid inner core sits at the very center, while around it lies a thick, liquid layer of iron-nickel that behaves like a flowing shell. The temperatures are high enough to keep this metal molten, even though the pressures are enormous, and the moving liquid creates convection currents that drive Earth's magnetic field. The crust and mantle are rocky layers outside this region, and the inner core itself is solid, so they do not form a molten shell around the center.