We speak of the Earth as consisting of three main regions; the crust as the solid outermost part, the inner core at the very center and the mantle in between. Then we give the regions where they come together names and we also subdivide the three main regions and give the subdivisions names.
It is the lithosphere and the asthenosphere that are the parts of the surface moving when we talk of continental drift.
The lithosphere is outer portion of the Earth. It is composed of the oceanic and continental crust, along with the rigid upper mantle.
The asthenosphere is the plastic like upper mantle directly below the lithosphere where rock can move, bend, and deform without breaking. Below that, the mantle become more fluid and is the major part of the volume of the Earth.
The inner most part, the core, is only about 15% of the whole Earth.
The layer directly under the Lithosphere is the Asthenosphere. The Asthenosphere is a semi-fluid layer of the Earth's mantle that allows for the movement of the tectonic plates above it. It is hotter and more ductile compared to the rigid Lithosphere.
asthenosphere
The layer directly below the lithosphere is the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is partially molten and allows for the movement of tectonic plates above it.
The lithosphere sits on top of the asthenosphere.
The differences and similarities between lithosphere and asthenosphere are as follows. Lithoshphere is made up of rigid rocks flowing above asthenosphere. Asthenosphere has rocks that are more plastic like because they can flow even tho they are still solid rock. The top part of asthenosphere is the same as the lower part of lithosphere, if the top part of asthenosphere cools it then becomes part of lithosphere. Lithosphere and asthenosphere are both made up of the upper part of the mantle on Earth but Lithosphere is also made up of the crust.
The layer directly under the Lithosphere is the Asthenosphere. The Asthenosphere is a semi-fluid layer of the Earth's mantle that allows for the movement of the tectonic plates above it. It is hotter and more ductile compared to the rigid Lithosphere.
asthenosphere
Tectonic plates are segments of the lithosphere. They float on top of the asthenosphere.
Earth's Crust, Lithosphere and Asthenosphere
Earth's Crust, Lithosphere and Asthenosphere
The lithosphere, asthenosphere, and mesosphere are all located within the Earth's upper mantle, which is part of the mantle layer. The lithosphere is the rigid outermost layer of the Earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle. The asthenosphere is a partially molten layer below the lithosphere, while the mesosphere is a solid layer beneath the asthenosphere.
The lithosphere is denser than the asthenosphere. The lithosphere is composed of the outermost layer of the Earth's crust and upper mantle, which is cooler and more rigid, while the asthenosphere is hotter and more plastic in nature, causing it to be less dense.
Because of something called Isostacy-the gravitational equilibrium between lithosphere and asthenosphere, such that plates "float" at an elevation that dependes on the thickness and density. EX. Think floating ice cubes
The asthenosphere.
The asthenosphere is located in the upper mantle, just below the lithosphere. The lithosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth's crust that includes the rigid upper part of the mantle, while the asthenosphere is a semi-molten layer below the lithosphere that allows tectonic plates to move.
The layer directly below the lithosphere is the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is partially molten and allows for the movement of tectonic plates above it.
The lithosphere floats on a layer of the Earth's mantle called the asthenosphere. The asthenosphere is a semi-fluid layer beneath the lithosphere that allows the movement of tectonic plates.