The solid part of the earth; SYN. geosphere.
Topmost layer of the Earth's structure, forming the jigsaw of plates that take part in the movements of plate tectonics. The lithosphere comprises the crust and a portion of the upper mantle. It is regarded as being rigid and moves about on the semimolten asthenosphere. The lithosphere is about 75 km/47 mi thick. + prikaži više