The lithosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth, formed by the neck and the vibrating part of the upper mantle. The word lithosphere is derived from the Greek words “lithos,” meaning rock, and “sphaira,” meaning earth or sphere.
Nestled between the upper atmosphere and the lower asthenosphere, the lithosphere can reach depths of up to 190 miles (300 kilometers), according to the Geological Society.
At the lithosphere -asthenosphere limit – when the temperature rises to 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit (1,300 degrees Celsius) – rocks go viscous and flow, albeit slowly. The rocks are stable due to the high pressure exerted by the miles of cloth and debris on them, but move by one to two inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) each year, according to and Sciencing.com. This change in ductility – the ability of an object to melt or melt under pressure – marks the boundary between the lithosphere and the asthenosphere in the upper layer.
The constant “slip ‘n’ slide” movement of the lithosphere in the asthenosphere is divided into large segments called tectonic plates.
Select: What makes Earth different?
Lithosphere characteristics
The lithosphere can be divided into two types: oceanic and continental.
The neck of the sea is much thinner and harder, according to Sciencing.com. Seaweed is mainly composed of basalt rock which is rich in silica and magnesium. Thickness ranges from just a few miles in ocean currents such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, to 60 to 90 miles (100 to 150 km) below the ocean currents, according to The Geological Society. .
The Continental, on the other hand, is rich in granite rocks rich in silica and aluminum and can grow in thicknesses up to 190 miles (300 km). Land is at a higher altitude than the ocean floor because it has less continental waste than ocean waste and therefore “runs” higher than the ocean floor, according to the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The lithosphere and plate tectonics
The lithosphere is divided into parts called tectonic plates. There are seven major disciplines and eight minor disciplines according to the Geological Society. The Earth is so different that we don’t see any other Earth that has a lithosphere divided into real classes, such as the Lunar and Planetary Institute.
The asthenosphere acts as a lubricant for lithospheric layers, allowing them to slip, penetrate and rub against each other – resulting in earth events such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
The Plate Tectonics is responsible for some of the most dangerous landforms on Earth, such as the Himalayas, which run for 1,800 miles (2,900 km) on the border of India and Tibet. The largest mountain range was formed between 40 and 50 million years ago when the Earth and Eurasia met, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Did you know
Moving along the San Andreas fault line moving Los Angeles 1.8 inches (4.6 cm) closer to San Francisco every year?
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), large ocean ridges such as The Mid -Atlantic Ridge are formed at different boundaries – when two tectonic plates move away from each other. When molten rock flows through the asthenosphere to the fish, it produces large basaltic eruptions. When the layers are separated, a new ocean floor is created and the layers continue to move. When an ocean wall collides with a “light” wall such as a map, it nosedive under a process called subduction, according to Sciencing.com. Tectonic plates may have first evolved into our planet’s 4.6 billion -year history and have been playing the slow game of bumper cars ever since.
How do we know the lithosphere and the asthenosphere there?
We know the lithosphere exists because that’s where we live and we can see the direct effects of plate tectonics through amazing volcanoes and high mountain ranges. But how do we know what is going on under the skin?
Earthquakes and seismic waves can tell us a lot about the Earth’s interior, including the lithosphere and the asthenosphere.
During the earthquake, the first wave (P) and high wave (S) spread through the Earth, according to Columbia University. Special centers around the world detect these waves and record their speed, which tells scientists a lot about the composition, temperature and pressure of what the waves travel.
Seismic waves travel quickly through solid materials such as solid rocks and slow down the water. At depths of about 60 to 90 miles (100 to 250 km), seismic waves begin to slow, indicating that they have entered a molten area (about 1%) – the asthenosphere. Rocks in a much smaller space – the asthenosphere – melt in part as a result of an increase in temperature or a decrease in pressure. Such melting is more common in hot spots and temperate climates, according to the Geological Society.
Additional resources
Find the most accurate map of the small magnetic signals generated by the Earth’s lithosphere with ESA. Explore the Earth’s volcanoes, earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics with this highly accurate map from the United States Geological Survey. Take a look under the cover and learn more about the inside of the Earth with the Open University.
Booklet
Boden, David R. Geologic fundamentals of geothermal energy. CRC Press, 2016.
Bartzsch, Stefan, Sergei Lebedev, and Thomas Meier. “Determining the lithosphere boundary – asthenosphere with seismic Rayleigh waves.” Geophysical Journal International 186.3 (2011): 1152-1164.
Artemieva, Irina. Lithosphere: an interdisciplinary structure. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
Fischer, Karen M., et al. “The lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary.” Age of the Earth and Planetary Science 38 (2010): 551-575.
