Which layer is the Earth's outermost solid shell?

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Earth's structure has several layers with different compositions and states of matter. The outermost solid shell is the crust, a thin skin of rock that sits above the mantle and beneath the atmosphere and oceans. Beneath the crust lies the mantle, mostly solid rock but capable of slow flow over long times. Deeper still is the outer core, which is liquid metal, and at the center lies the solid inner core. Because the crust is the first solid layer encountered at the planet's exterior, it is the outermost solid shell. Continental crust is thicker and granitic, while oceanic crust is thinner and basaltic, but both form the planet’s outermost solid surface.