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Earth's mantle comprises approximately 70% of Earth's volume. It is a rocky shell overlying Earth's iron-rich core, which occupies about 30% of Earth's volume. The 2,900 km thick mantle has partly melted at shallower levels and produced a very thin crust of crystallized melt products near the surface, upon which we live. The gases evolved during the melting of Earth's mantle have a large effect on the composition and abundance of Earth's atmosphere.