Moreover, the oceanic crust is much younger than the continental crust and is made largely of basaltic rock. The continental crust is older and has a greater variety of rock types.
This is because the continental crust is less dense than the oceanic crust and the rocks don't sink and rise within the Earth as readily. World View. More From Reference. Since it is rigid and brittle, when stresses act on the lithosphere, it breaks. This is what we experience as an earthquake. The asthenosphere is solid upper mantle material that is so hot that it behaves plastically and can flow. The lithosphere rides on the asthenosphere.
Improve this page Learn More. Skip to main content. Search for:. This is the layer where the tectonic plates lie that are the cause of earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. The asthenosphere is the layer below the lithosphere. They are rather semi-fluid and allows the movement of their half molten rocks.
The lithosphere is the uppermost layer of the Earth. The lithosphere is divided into two parts: crust and the uppermost solid mantel layer. Since the lithosphere includes the crust, it is the place for different varieties of elements and mineral compounds.
Statistically, the lithosphere has 80 varieties of elements along with other mineral compounds. The concept of lithosphere was developed in by Barrell. This was because there was a gravitational field present that led to his belief of having a strong upper layer of Earth.
At the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary, the molten rocks condense to form brittle rocks that break down.
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