The other spheres are the biosphere (Earth’s living things) the cryosphere (Earth’s frozen regions, including both ice and frozen soil) the hydrosphere (Earth’s liquid water) and the atmosphere (the air surrounding our planet). The cool, brittle lithosphere is just one of five great “spheres” that shape the environment of Earth. How the Lithosphere Interacts with Other Spheres Tectonic activity can shape the lithosphere itself: Both oceanic and continental lithospheres are thinnest at rift valleys and ocean ridges, where tectonic plates are shifting apart from one another. Tectonic activity is responsible for some of Earth's most dramatic geologic events: earthquakes, volcanoes, orogeny ( mountain-building), and deep ocean trenches can all be formed by tectonic activity in the lithosphere. Thermal energy makes the rocks of the lithosphere more elastic. The movement of tectonic plates is made possible by thermal energy (heat) from the mantle part of the lithosphere. Most tectonic activity takes place at the boundaries of these plates, where they may collide, tear apart, or slide against each other. The lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates including the North American, Caribbean, South American, Scotia, Antarctic, Eurasian, Arabian, African, Indian, Philippine, Australian, Pacific, Juan de Fuca, Cocos, and Nazca. Tectonic activity describes the interaction of the huge slabs of lithosphere called tectonic plates. The most well-known feature associated with Earth’s lithosphere is tectonic activity. Oceanic lithosphere is associated with oceanic crust, and is slightly denser than continental lithosphere. There are two types of lithosphere: oceanic lithosphere and continental lithosphere. The lithosphere is far less ductile than the asthenosphere.

The asthenosphere is viscous, and the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) is the point where geologists and rheologists-scientists who study the flow of matter-mark the difference in ductility between the two layers of the upper mantle. Ductility measures a solid material’s ability to deform or stretch under stress. It is bounded by the atmosphere above and the asthenosphere (another part of the upper mantle) below.Īlthough the rocks of the lithosphere are still considered elastic, they are not viscous. The lithosphere includes the brittle upper portion of the mantle and the crust, the outermost layers of Earth’s structure. The lithosphere is the solid, outer part of Earth.

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