lithosphere
Noun
Meaning
the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle
Source: WordNetSynonyms
Hypernyms
Phrases with the word
Examples
Another theory is that the mantle flows neither in cells nor large plumes but rather as a series of channels just below the Earth's crust, which then provide basal friction to the lithosphere.
As oceanic lithosphere is formed at spreading ridges from hot mantle material, it gradually cools and thickens with age (and thus adds distance from the ridge).
Average oceanic lithosphere is typically convert thick;sfn its thickness is a function of its age: as time passes, it conductively cools and subjacent cooling mantle is added to its base.
Geologists attribute the arcuate structure to the rigidity of the descending plate, and island arc cusps relate to tears in the descending lithosphere.
For Callisto, the outer conductive layer corresponds to the cold and rigid lithosphere with a thickness of about 100 km.
Deep-focus earthquakes occur at a depth where the subducted lithosphere should no longer be brittle, due to the high temperature and pressure.