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The tectonic plates of the lithosphere on Earth Earth cutaway from center to surface, the lithosphere comprising the crust and lithospheric mantle (detail not to scale). A lithosphere (from Ancient Greek λίθος (líthos) ' rocky ' and σφαίρα (sphaíra) ' sphere ') is the rigid, [1] outermost rocky shell of a terrestrial planet or natural satellite.
The structure of Earth can be defined in two ways: by mechanical properties such as rheology, or chemically. Mechanically, it can be divided into lithosphere, asthenosphere, mesospheric mantle, outer core, and the inner core. Chemically, Earth can be divided into the crust, upper mantle, lower mantle, outer core, and inner core. [6]
"Geosphere" may also be taken as the collective name for the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, and the atmosphere. [2] The different collectives of the geosphere are able to exchange different mass and/or energy fluxes (the measurable amount of change). The exchange of these fluxes affects the balance of the different spheres of the ...
Earth science or geoscience includes all fields of natural science related to the planet Earth. [1] This is a branch of science dealing with the physical, chemical, and biological complex constitutions and synergistic linkages of Earth's four spheres: the biosphere , hydrosphere / cryosphere , atmosphere , and geosphere (or lithosphere ).
Earth's crust is its thick outer shell of rock, referring to less than one percent of the planet's radius and volume. It is the top component of the lithosphere , a solidified division of Earth 's layers that includes the crust and the upper part of the mantle . [ 1 ]
Earth's mantle is the region between the core and the lithosphere. The asthenosphere is the ductile region of the upper mantle. Mantle processes which operate across mountain belts include those related to subduction (e.g., slab break-off , flat-slab subduction , subduction of a triple junction ).
Earth's inner structure can be described both chemically (crust, mantle, and core) and mechanically. The lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary lies between Earth's cooler, rigid lithosphere and the warmer, ductile asthenosphere. The actual depth of the boundary is still a topic of debate and study, although it is known to vary according to the ...
Geosphere/Solid Earth – (Also sometimes a collective name for the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the cryosphere, and the atmosphere) The union of all solid parts of Earth and the Inner of Earth. Pedosphere – The outermost layer of the Earth that is composed of soil and subject to soil formation processes; Outer layers By composition