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The crust is cold thus making it brittle

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15y ago

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What layer of earth is brittle?

The brittle layer of Earth is the crust, which is the outermost layer of the planet. It is composed of solid rock that behaves as a brittle material under stress, leading to the formation of faults and earthquakes.


Is the crust and the mantle brittle or is the crust and lithosphere brittle?

In order to answer this you need to understand the difference between the compositional layers of the earth and the physical layers. The crust and mantle are differing layers of the earth based on chemical composition. The lithosphere is a layer of the earth defined based on it's physical or mechanical properties (how it deforms). The lithosphere is composed of the crust and the portion of the upper mantle which deforms elastically and fails in a brittle manner (fractures can propagate through the material). So in the question where you ask is the crust and lithosphere brittle, the answer is yes as the crust is entirely part of the lithosphere which by definition is brittle. However as described above, a section of the upper mantle is also a brittle solid and so that too is part of the lithosphere. However below this, the mantle behaves as a ductile solid.


Is the lithosphere brittle?

Yes, the lithosphere is brittle as it consists of rigid outer layers of the Earth's crust and upper mantle. This brittleness contributes to the formation of faults, earthquakes, and other tectonic activities.


What is the outer part of the earth composed of solid rock?

The lithosphere is the outer rocky shell of the Earth, based on the physical state of the material (brittle). The lithosphere is a combination of the crust, and the brittle uppermost mantle to which it is attached.


Describe earths crust?

The Earth's outermost layer of hard brittle rock is called the crust. The crust is typically about 23 miles thick beneath continents, and about 6.5 miles thick beneath oceans. The crust is relatively light and brittle compared to other Earth layers. Most earthquakes occur within the crust.