SUPPLY CHAIN DEFINITIONS. Definitions of a supply chain virtually universally encompass the following three functions: i. supply of materials to a manufacturer; ii. the manufacturing process; and, iii. the distribution of finished goods through a network of distributors and retailers to a final customer.
The thickest parts are under the continents and the thinnest parts are under the oceans. Crust. Earth's crust is made up of several elements: oxygen, 47 percent; silicon, 27 percent; aluminum, 8 percent; iron, 5 percent; calcium, 4 percent; magnesium, potassium and sodium, 2 percent. The crust is divided into huge plates that float on the mantle, the next layer.
Heavier elements like iron tend to sink toward the center or core of the earth. Lighter materials, the silicates, oxygen compounds and water have risen to become part of the crust. This action has created distinct layers within the earth and is still in process today. The Inner Earth is composed of three main parts; the crust, the mantle, and the core as shown in the diagram of the earth's interior below: The Crust - silicate rocks, primarily granite and basaltOceanic Crust - mostly basaltContinental Crust - igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.