Asthenosphere 1
Asthenosphere 1 :
(n.) Geology. The relatively plastic layer of the upper mantle of the Earth on which the tectonic plates of the lithosphere move. The asthenosphere is approximately 200 km [124 miles] thick and, owing to its depth below the Earth's surface, warm (~ 1400oC) [2640oF] but not molten. Here the mantle deforms by plastic flow in response to applied pressures above 100 MPa [14, 500 psi]. This zone is considered coincidental, at least below oceanic crust, with the low-velocity zone of the upper mantle. See: Core, Crust, Isostasy, Plate Tectonics, Subduction
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