The asthenosphere (from Greek asthenēs (ἀσθενὲς) 'weak' + sphere) is the highly viscous, mechanically weak and ductilely-deforming region of the upper mantle of the Earth. asthenosphere n: the lower layer of the crust. asthenosphere \asthenosphere\ n. 1. the lower layer of the earth's crust, below the lithosphere. It is estimated as from fifty to several hundred miles thick. It is less rigid than the lithosphere, but still rigid enough to transmit some transverse seismic waves.
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The outer most layer of the Earth is the crust, which varies in thickness from about 7-70 km. Below that is the mantle, which of made up of denser rocks than the crust. At a depth of almost 3000 km, you reach the core, which is made of iron and nickel and is even denser than the mantle.
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Best Answer: Lithosphere is technically a geological term which describes the outermost portion of the planet between the earths surface and the very uppermost mantle/asthenosphere. Basically you walk on the lithosphere.
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Theasthenosphere extends from 100 km depth to 660 km beneath the Earth's surface.Beneath the asthenosphere is the mesosphere, another strong layer.Crust and MantleThe crust is a chemically distinct layer at the surface of the Earth.
http://ser.sese.asu.edu/GEO110/GEO110_S03/Dis2b.pdf
Thus, the mantle contains the lower portion of thelithosphere, the asthenosphere, and the mesosphere. The crust is made of the upperportion of the lithosphere.The Inner and Outer CoreThe core-mantle interface is a change in mechanical properties (rock to liquid) andcomposition (Mg, Fe silicates to liquid Fe metal).
http://ser.sese.asu.edu/GEO110/GEO110_S03/Dis2b.pdf
Deep in the Earth, hot rocks (above about 1300°C) can flow, whereas cold rocks cannot. The lithosphere is broken up into rigid plates that ride on top of the flowing asthenosphere. In terms of chemical composition, there is no difference between the upper part of the asthenosphere and the lower part of the lithosphere. In fact, if the upper part of the asthenosphere cools down it becomes part of the lithosphere.
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Report Abuse. The lithosphere (from the Greek for rocky sphere) is the solid outermost shell of a rocky planet. On the Earth, the lithosphere includes the crust and the uppermost layer of the mantle (the upper mantle or lower lithosphere) which is joined to the crust. As the cooling surface layer of the Earth's convection system, the lithosphere thickens over time.
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Oceanic crust isusually 5-10 km thick and continental crust is 33 km thick on average. Beneath thecrust is the mantle. The mantle is made up of Si and O, like the crust, but it containsmore Fe and Mg. Thus, Olivine (Fe 2 SiO 4 -Mg 2 SiO 4) and pyroxene (MgSiO 3 -FeSiO 3)are abundant in the mantle. The mantle extends to the core-mantle interface atapproximately 2900 km depth.
http://ser.sese.asu.edu/GEO110/GEO110_S03/Dis2b.pdf
Lithosphere. A lithosphere ([lithos] for rocky, and [sphaira] for sphere) is the rigid, outermost shell of a rocky planet, and can be identified on the basis of its mechanical properties. lithosphere n: the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle [syn: {geosphere}].
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Rocks in the lithosphere are rigid, meaning that they can bend but they cannot flow. Rocks in the asthenosphere are plastic, meaning that they can flow in response to deformation. Even though it can flow, the asthenosphere is still made of solid (not liquid) rock; you can think of it kind of like Silly Putty.
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difference between lithosphere asthenosphere
In the lithosphere, rocks are rigid so they can bend but cannot flow while in the asthenosphere, rocks are plastic meaning that they can flow in response to deformation. The difference between lithosphere and asthenosphere is rocks in the lithosphere are rigid, meaning that they can bend but they cannot flow. Rocks in the asthenosphere are plastic, meaning that they can flow in response to deformation. Rocks in the lithosphere are rigid, meaning that they can bend but they cannot flow, while rocks in the asthenosphere are plastic, meaning that they can flow in response to deformation.