Earth layer
Asthenosphere
A relatively narrow, mobile zone in the upper mantle beneath the lithosphere, composed of hot material that can soften and flow over geological time. The rigid plates are thought to move over it.
Classification
- division basis
- mechanical
How this record is known
- 1
- Settled consensus
- Cited as the accepted position of the discipline.
1 of 1 claims on this page cite at least one registered source. Counts describe how each statement is known, not how likely it is to be true.
What Lithoen records
Each claim states how it is known and cites its evidence.
EstablishedA mechanically weak, mobile mantle zone beneath the rigid lithosphere.
The asthenosphere is a relatively narrow, mobile zone in the mantle below the lithosphere, composed of hot material that can soften and flow after being subjected to high temperature and pressure over geological time.
- precision note: The cited source presents the asthenosphere with the hedge "scientists believe"; it is a mechanical division inferred from wave speeds and rheology, not a compositional boundary that can be sampled.
Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence · one source
Evidence: Kious 1996 · Primary authority
Record last updated 2026-09-06. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.