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The asthenosphere (from Ancient Greek ἀσθενός (asthenós) 'without strength') is the mechanically weak [1] and ductile region of the upper mantle of Earth. It lies below the lithosphere , at a depth between c. 80 and 200 km (50 and 120 mi) below the surface, and extends as deep as 700 km (430 mi).
Earth's outer core is a fluid layer about 2,260 km (1,400 mi) in height (i.e. distance from the highest point to the lowest point at the edge of the inner core) [36% of the Earth's radius, 15.6% of the volume] and composed of mostly iron and nickel that lies above Earth's solid inner core and below its mantle. [31]
Earth's inner structure can be described both chemically (crust, mantle, and core) and mechanically. The lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary lies between Earth's cooler, rigid lithosphere and the warmer, ductile asthenosphere. The actual depth of the boundary is still a topic of debate and study, although it is known to vary according to the ...
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.
Earth's lithosphere is made up of the crust and elastic, uppermost part of the upper mantle. It is bounded by the surface and the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. Lithospheric processes accommodate mountain formation in the lithosphere.
Mantle convection is the very slow creep of Earth's solid silicate mantle as convection currents carry heat from the interior to the planet's surface. [2] [3] Mantle convection causes tectonic plates to move around the Earth's surface. [4] The Earth's lithosphere rides atop the asthenosphere, and the two form the components of the upper mantle ...
The Earth's mantle is a layer of silicate rock between the crust and the outer core. Its mass of 4.01 × 10 24 kg is 67% the mass of the Earth. [1] It has a thickness of 2,900 kilometres (1,800 mi) [1] making up about 84% of Earth's volume. It is predominantly solid, but in geological time it behaves as a viscous fluid
The idea is that Earth's most outer layer, known as the lithosphere, that is made up of the crust and mantle is divided into extensive plates of rock. [8] [26] These plates sit on top of partially molten layer of rock known as the asthenosphere and move relative to each other due to convection between the asthenosphere and lithosphere. [26]