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The tectonic plates of the lithosphere on Earth Earth cutaway from center to surface, the lithosphere comprising the crust and lithospheric mantle (detail not to scale). A lithosphere (from Ancient Greek λίθος (líthos) 'rocky' and σφαίρα (sphaíra) 'sphere') is the rigid, [1] outermost rocky shell of a terrestrial planet or natural satellite.
Geological cross section of Earth, showing the different layers of the interior. The internal structure of Earth are the layers of the Earth , excluding its atmosphere and hydrosphere . The structure consists of an outer silicate solid crust , a highly viscous asthenosphere , and solid mantle , a liquid outer core whose flow generates the Earth ...
The lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (referred to as the LAB by geophysicists) represents a mechanical difference between layers in Earth's inner structure. Earth's inner structure can be described both chemically ( crust , mantle , and core ) and mechanically.
Plates in the crust of Earth. Earth's crust is its thick outer shell of rock, referring to less than one percent of the planet's radius and volume.It is the top component of the lithosphere, a solidified division of Earth's layers that includes the crust and the upper part of the mantle. [1]
The outer layers of Earth are divided into the lithosphere and asthenosphere. The division is based on differences in mechanical properties and in the method for the transfer of heat . The lithosphere is cooler and more rigid, while the asthenosphere is hotter and flows more easily.
Lithosphere – Outermost shell of a terrestrial-type planet or natural satellite; Ocean – Body of salt water covering most of Earth; Plate tectonics – Movement of Earth's lithosphere List of tectonic plate interactions – Types of plate boundaries; Supercontinent – Landmass comprising more than one continental core, or craton
The trace element composition of these xenoliths suggest mixing between the two different layers of subcontinental mantle. Particularly, the theory for the removal of Archean subcontinental lithosphere below Archean continental crust via delamination helps to explain mantle-peridotite xenoliths found in the extinct Sierra Nevada arc. [2]
Earth's mantle is a layer of silicate rock between the crust and the outer core. It has a mass of 4.01 × 10 24 kg (8.84 × 10 24 lb) and makes up 67% of the mass of Earth. [ 1 ] It has a thickness of 2,900 kilometers (1,800 mi) [ 1 ] making up about 46% of Earth's radius and 84% of Earth's volume.