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asthenosphere |
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asthenosphereLayer within Earth's mantle lying beneath the lithosphere, typically beginning at a depth of approximately 100 km/63 mi and extending to depths of approximately 260 km/160 mi. Sometimes referred to as the ‘weak sphere’, it is characterized by being weaker and more elastic than the surrounding mantle. The asthenosphere's elastic behaviour and low viscosity allow the overlying, more rigid plates of lithosphere to move laterally in a process known as plate tectonics. Its elasticity and viscosity also allow overlying crust and mantle to move vertically in response to gravity to achieve isostatic equilibrium (see isostasy). |
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Thin crust and high surface topography are dynamically supported by shallow asthenosphere. That suggestion, however, runs counter to the prevailing view among geophysicists, who believe that a deformable layer called the asthenosphere separates the surface plates from deep mantle flow. The asthenosphere supports the more buoyant and rigid lithospheric plates that drift across Earth's surface. |
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asthenosphere
