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The lithosphere: Facts about Earth's outer shell, the lithosphere is the layer of Earth we call home.
The lithosphere is the outermost layer of Earth and is divided into chunks called tectonic plates.

The lithosphere is the outermost layer of Earth, composed of the crust and the brittle part of the upper mantle. The term lithosphere is derived from the Greek words "lithos," meaning stone, and "sphaira," meaning globe or ball.

Sandwiched between the atmosphere above and the asthenosphere below, the lithosphere can reach depths of up to 290 miles

At the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary — when temperatures reach 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit (1,300 degrees Celsius) — rocks take on a viscous nature and flow, albeit very slowly. The rocks remain solid due to the high pressure caused by the miles of mantle and crust above but move rate of one or two inches. This change in ductility — the ability of a material to deform or stretch under stress — marks the boundary between the lithosphere and asthenosphere in the upper mantle.

The lithosphere can be divided into two varieties: oceanic and continental.

Oceanic crust is relatively thin and dense. The oceanic crust is mainly composed of basalt rock rich in silica and magnesium. It ranges in thickness from just a few miles at ocean-spreading centers such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, to 60 to 90 miles, under mature ocean basins.

Continental crust, on the other hand, is mainly composed of granite rocks rich in silica and aluminum and can reach thicknesses of up to 290 miles . Continents are at a higher elevation than the ocean floor because continental crust is less dense than oceanic crust and therefore "floats" higher on the mantle.

The lithosphere can be divided into large sections known as tectonic plates. These plates move slowly on top of the asthenosphere layer.

The asthenosphere acts as a lubricant for the slabs of lithospheric plates, allowing them to slide along, bump into and rub past each other — resulting in geological events such as volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Plate tectonics is also responsible for some of the most striking landforms on Earth, such as the Himalayas, which stretch for 1,800 miles (2,900 km) along the border of India and Tibet. The colossal mountain range was forged between 40 and 50 million years ago when the Indian and Eurasian plates collided

Large oceanic ridges such as The Mid-Atlantic Ridge are formed at divergent plate boundaries — when two tectonic plates are moving away from each. When molten rock flows up through the asthenosphere to the seafloor it produces large basaltic eruptions. As the plates diverge, new ocean floor is created, and the plates continue to move apart. When an oceanic plate collides with a "lighter" plate like a continental plate, it nosedives beneath it in a process called subduction.

An illustration of plate tectonics and subduction when two plates of different densities collide. (Image credit: CHRISTOPH BURGSTEDT/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via Getty Images)

How do we know the lithosphere and asthenosphere are there?

We know the lithosphere exists because it's where we live and we can see the direct effects of plate tectonics through spectacular volcanoes and lofty mountain ranges. But how do we know what's going on below the surface?

Earthquakes and seismic waves can tell us a lot about the Earth's interior, including where the lithosphere and asthenosphere are located.

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