Lithosphere`

• The name 'lithosphere' comes from the Greek

words lithos, meaning 'rocky,' and sphaeros,
meaning 'sphere.‘
• The lithosphere is the solid outer section
of Earth, which includes Earth's crust, as well
as the underlying cool, dense, and rigid upper
part of the upper mantle.
 Lithosphere
• Layer of the earth extending from the surface to a depth of
around 80 to 120 miles
• Composed of rocks in the crust and upper mantle that behave
as brittle solids. 
• Where many of the geologic processess that affects us
originate
• Contains the outer, thin shell of the planet or the CRUST and
the uppermost part of the next-lower layer
• The thing all of the rocks in the lithosphere have in
common is the way in which they respond to forces
applied to them. 
• Asthenosphere – layer on which the lithosphere rests
• The physical connection between the lithosphere and the
asthenosphere generates a considerable amount of
pushing and pulling on the lithosphere as the rocks below
move around. In response, the lithosphere has broken into
about a dozen large pieces, called lithospheric
plates, or simply plates. The movement
of the plates away from, towards, and
past each other is known as plate
tectonics.
 2 Types of Lithosphere
Oceanic lithosphere - which is
associated with oceanic crust and exists
in the ocean basins
Continental lithosphere - which
is associated with continental crust
 Oceanic lithosphere
Less denser Rich in iron and magnesium

Consists mainly of mafic and

ultramafic mantle
Dark in color

5 km thick
More denser
Density – 3.0 g/cm3
Basalt
 Continental Lithosphere
Less denser Light in Color
Density – 2.7 g/cm3

Rich in sodium, potassium, calcium, and

aluminum
Granite

20 to 50 km thick