Table of Contents
What are rigid pieces of the lithosphere called?
Lithosphere, rigid, rocky outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the solid outermost layer of the upper mantle. It extends to a depth of about 60 miles (100 km). It is broken into about a dozen separate, rigid blocks, or plates (see plate tectonics).
How rigid is the lithosphere?
The lithosphere is composed of both the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that behaves as a brittle, rigid solid. The lithosphere is the outermost mechanical layer, which behaves as a brittle, rigid solid. The lithosphere is about 100 kilometers thick.
Are plates made of rigid lithosphere?
Plates are rigid bodies of rock that essentially float atop a region of partial melt called the asthenosphere. The plates comprise the lithosphere, composed of the crust (which is the rigid, outermost layer of the Earth) and the solid portion of the upper mantle. Continental crust is mostly of granitic composition.
Where does the bending of the lithosphere come from?
Bending and Breaking the Lithosphere. The forces that bend and break the lithosphere come mostly from plate tectonics. Where plates collide, the lithosphere on one plate sinks down into the hot mantle. In that process of subduction, the plate bends downward as much as 90 degrees.
Which is the most important feature of the lithosphere?
The most well-known feature associated with Earth’s lithosphere is tectonic activity. Tectonic activity describes the interaction of the huge slabs of lithosphere called tectonic plates.
Can a subducted part of the lithosphere break off?
In some cases (such as in northern California) the subducted part can break off completely, sinking into the deep Earth as the plates above it change their orientation. Even at great depths, the subducted lithosphere can be brittle for millions of years, as long as it is relatively cool.
How are thermal and electrical lithospheres related?
The “thermal lithosphere” measures its temperature and the thermal energy—heat—it conducts. The “seismic lithosphere” measures how lithospheric rocks move with seismic shifts and tectonic activity. The “electrical lithosphere” measures the layer’s ability to conduct electricity (much lower than the asthenosphere).