Concept information
Preferred term
lithosphere
Definition
- A lithosphere is the rigid, outermost shell of a terrestrial-type planet or natural satellite. On Earth, it is composed of the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time scales of up to thousands of years or more. The crust and upper mantle are distinguished on the basis of chemistry and mineralogy. The lithosphere is subdivided horizontally into tectonic plates, which often include terranes accreted from other plates. It can be divided into oceanic and continental lithosphere. Oceanic lithosphere is associated with oceanic crust (having a mean density of about 2.9 grams per cubic centimetre or 0.10 pounds per cubic inch) and exists in the ocean basins. Continental lithosphere is associated with continental crust (having a mean density of about 2.7 grams per cubic centimetre or 0.098 pounds per cubic inch) and underlies the continents and continental shelfs. (Adapted from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithosphere)
Broader concept
Narrower concepts
In other languages
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French
URI
http://data.loterre.fr/ark:/67375/QX8-ZBQKL696-6
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