The Earth is divided into different layers, with the lithosphere being the solid surface, i.e. the crust and the upper part of the mantle, extending to a depth of about 100-150 kilometres [1].
The Earth’s crust is divided into seven large plates and about ten smaller ones that slide around the mantle at a slow pace [2]. This mechanism creates dynamism and change in the Earth’s surface and contributes to the carbon cycle by feeding deposited carbon into the Earth’s interior and coming back up through volcanoes.
The word lithosphere comes from the Greek líthos = stone, and sphaira = sphere or ball.
Sources
- Geologica.fi – The asthenosphere and the lithosphere
- Naturhistoriska riksmuseet – Plate tectonics and continental drift
October 2023, TÄNKOM | Revised November 2023 RETHINK
