Our planet’s geophysical hazards / Геофизические опасности нашей планеты

The term geophysical refers to the workings of the earth. This includes movements on the earth’s surface (crust) as well as beneath the surface. These movements can be hazardous for humans such as when earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. Earthquakes and volcanoes occur in the earth’s  lithosphere. This is the solid zone of rock on the earth, including the crust and the upper part of the mantle, that extends downwards from the earth’s surface to a depth of about 70 kilometres.
Figure 1.2 shows that the earth consists of several layers, like an onion. In the centre of the Earth is a very hot core. The temperature of most of the core is so high that its rock material has melted into a flowing liquid. Perhaps surprisingly, the inner core at the centre of the earth (where temperatures are highest) is solid. It is solid because of the enormous pressures pressing in on it. Surrounding the core is a mantle of semi-solid rocks. The closer we go to the earth’s surface, the more solid the mantle becomes, although the rocks in the mantle are still able to flow like a thick honey. <...>