If the Earth were a giant pizza, the crust would be about as thick as a single layer of pepperoni. Seriously—the crust is astonishingly thin. Under the oceans, it’s only about 3 to 6 miles thick, which is roughly the distance you’d drive to get to a mediocre mall.
On land, it’s a bit heartier, like a thick-crust deep dish, reaching up to 30 miles under mountain ranges. But compared to the Earth’s total size? It’s like the skin on an apple—easily bruised and very easy to forget about until you bite into a bad spot.
That thin layer is the only thing separating you from the roiling, molten mantle below. So next time you stomp your foot in frustration, just remember: you’re only a few miles from magma. That’s usually enough to calm me down.
