The lithosphere consists of which components?

The lithosphere consists of which components?

• A. Oceanic crust, continental crust, uppermost mantle
• B. Asthenosphere and low-velocity zones
• C. Lower mantle and core
• D. Mantle and core

Answer: (A)

The lithosphere is the rigid outer shell of the Earth, defined by how it behaves more like a solid than a ductile layer. It includes both types of crust—oceanic crust and continental crust—and the rigid portion of the mantle right beneath them, up to where the mantle becomes ductile in the asthenosphere. In other words, oceanic crust plus continental crust plus the uppermost mantle make up the lithosphere. The asthenosphere lies below and allows movement of the plates, but it is not part of the lithosphere itself. Deeper mantle layers and the core are well below the lithosphere and aren’t included.

The lithosphere is the rigid outer shell of the Earth, defined by how it behaves more like a solid than a ductile layer. It includes both types of crust—oceanic crust and continental crust—and the rigid portion of the mantle right beneath them, up to where the mantle becomes ductile in the asthenosphere. In other words, oceanic crust plus continental crust plus the uppermost mantle make up the lithosphere. The asthenosphere lies below and allows movement of the plates, but it is not part of the lithosphere itself. Deeper mantle layers and the core are well below the lithosphere and aren’t included.