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.
Because of this, the crust is made of the lightest materials (rock- basalts and granites) and the core consists of heavy metals (nickel and iron). The crust is the layer that you live on, and it is the most widely studied and understood. The mantle is much hotter and has the ability to flow.