Science glossary film: Lithosphere

Lithosphere

Sorry, this film is not free to view

Start trial

Please log in or subscribe to watch the full film

The upper layers of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, as opposed to the more fluid lower mantle and core.

The upper layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle, as opposed to the more fluid lower mantle and core. The lithosphere is divided into several pieces called tectonic plates, which are moved about the planet by convection currents in the mantle. The oceanic lithosphere is 50 to 100 kilometers thick, and the continental lithosphere can be up to twice as thick.

The lithosphere is divided into several pieces called tectonic plates, which are moved about the planet by convection currents in the mantle. The oceanic lithosphere is 50 to 100 kilometers thick, and the continental lithosphere can be up to twice as thick.

Embed this film

Copy and paste the embed code above to include this film on other websites.

Share this film

Copy and paste the code above to link to this page.