SOLAR SYSTEM

UNIVERSE

PLANETARY INTERIORS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
What is the weaker, hotter zone beneath the lithosphere that allows for motion of Earth’s rigid outer shell?
A
crust
B
outer core
C
astenosphere
D
inner core
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -The asthenosphere is the denser, weaker layer beneath the lithospheric mantle. It lies between about 100 kilometers (62 miles) and 410 kilometers (255 miles) beneath Earth’s surface. The temperature and pressure of the asthenosphere are so high that rocks soften and partly melt, becoming semi-molten.

Detailed explanation-2: -The lithosphere is the rocky outer part of Earth. It is made up of the brittle crust and the top part of the upper mantle. The lithosphere is the coolest and most rigid part of Earth.

Detailed explanation-3: -Asthenosphere and mesosphere are not parts of the Earth’s lithosphere. Instead, they are the parts of the Earth’s mantle. Asthenosphere lies below the lithosphere, and the mesosphere is below it.

Detailed explanation-4: -The asthenosphere is a part of the upper mantle just below the lithosphere that is involved in plate tectonic movement and isostatic adjustments. It is composed of peridotite, a rock containing mostly the minerals olivine and pyroxene.

Detailed explanation-5: -The lithosphere (litho:rock; sphere:layer) is the strong, upper 100 km of the Earth. The lithosphere is the tectonic plate we talk about in plate tectonics. The asthenosphere (a:without; stheno:strength) is the weak and easily deformed layer of the Earth that acts as a “lubricant” for the tectonic plates to slide over.

Detailed explanation-6: -The upper mantle is called asthenosphere, “astheno” is a Greek word meaning ‘weak’. It is called weak layer because it is in liquid state where rock material deforms more readily, and magma formation takes place.

There is 1 question to complete.