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lithosphere |
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lithosphereUpper rocky layer of the Earth that forms the jigsaw of plates that take part in the movements of plate tectonics. The lithosphere comprises the crust and a portion of the upper mantle. It is regarded as being rigid and brittle and moves about on the more plastic and less brittle asthenosphere. The lithosphere ranges in thickness from 2-3 km/1-2 mi at mid-ocean ridges to 150 km/93 mi beneath old ocean crust, to 250 km/155 mi under cratons. |
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| We also know that these causes operate on different time scales and that atmospheric climate involves complex feedback effects with the hydrosphere, the biosphere and the lithosphere. This might be because the lithosphere is thick enough to support the ice. A quake can also be triggered by setting off in the depths of the lithosphere a small targeted nuclear device or even a conventional high-explosive charge. |
lithosphere
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