What is lithosphere ,?

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Ebony Nash answered
If you are looking to find out what a lithosphere is for your studies, read these handy hinters:

• Brief definition

The lithosphere is the outside shell of a planet that is generally rocky. It is rigid and completely solid, securing the planet's surface and innards, made up of some of the crust and a large portion of the upper mantle in regards to the Earth. These are said to behave elastically in nature over a great time period of thousands of years.

• The Earth

The lithosphere in regards to the Earth is hard and protective, ensuring that nothing penetrates the surface of the Earth from outer space. The lithosphere sits above something called the asthenosphere which is a weaker version of the lithosphere, with hotter temperatures and a bigger density. The asthenosphere is only distinguishable from the lithosphere because of its varying surfaces in response to stress. The lithosphere is more likely to change state and become more brittle and stretched when there is difficulty facing it, whereas, the asthenosphere rarely changes its form. The lithosphere is the thing that makes up the tectonic plates on the surface of our Earth.

• Types of lithosphere

There are two known types of lithosphere, relating to what sits above it on the Earth's surface. For parts of the world that are covered in water, as in the sea and oceans, the lithosphere is called the Oceanic lithosphere, whereas, on ground levels it is known as a Continental lithosphere. Both of these are associated with their respective crusts, Oceanic and Continental.

If you are looking to find more information on lithospheres and the way the world is made up, you can visit your local library where your local librarian will point you in the right direction of books relating to the solar system and the Earth itself.

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