lithosphere — English Dictionary

Noun

1. The rigid, mechanically strong, outer layer of the Earth, which is divided into twelve major tectonic plates.

   Examples

   Holonyms: Earth, earth

   Meronym: crust

   More examples (3)

   Then we indicate some of the more pertinent characteristics of oceanic and continental lithospheres.

   When applying Equation (3-74) to determine the downward deflection of the earth's lithosphere due to an applied load, we must be careful to include in q(x) the hydrostatic restoring force caused by the effective replacement of mantle rocks in a vertical column by material of smaller density.

   Active serpentine mud volcanoes observed in the Mariana fore-arc provide dramatic evidence for hydration of the shallow mantle wedge by H₂O fluids derived from the subducting lithosphere (Fryer. 1996: Fryer et al., 1999).

2. Any similar layer of an exoplanet.

   Examples

   Holonym: planet

   Meronym: crust

Noun

1. the solid part of the earth consisting of the crust and outer mantle

   Synonyms

   geosphere

   Broader terms

   layer