Asthenosphere — Science definition
The soft, slowly-flowing mantle layer beneath the lithosphere that the tectonic plates slide on.
Where it is taught
- Earth's Internal Structure — Earth’s Interior & Plate Tectonics, Earth & Space Science, Grade 9
In use
Right beneath it lies the asthenosphere, a hotter, softer band of the mantle that acts like warm modeling clay: firm enough to hold together if you poke it quickly, but soft enough to ooze and deform slowly over millions of years.
Earth's Internal Structure
Questions using asthenosphere
Problem 1
The asthenosphere is important to plate tectonics because it
- is mainly solid rock that can deform and flow slowly beneath the rigid lithosphere
- is the coldest layer of the Earth
- makes up the solid inner core
- is where all earthquakes stop
Answer and explanation
is mainly solid rock that can deform and flow slowly beneath the rigid lithosphere
The asthenosphere is mainly solid mantle material that can deform over long times. It is not a worldwide liquid ocean of magma. Partial melt can occur in some regions.