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LITHOEN

Earth layer

Lithosphere

The rigid mechanical outer layer of the Earth, formed by the crust together with the cool, rigid uppermost mantle, and broken into the tectonic plates.

Classification

division basis
mechanical

How this record is known

2
Settled consensus
Cited as the accepted position of the discipline.
1
Interpretation
Reached by reasoning from evidence, or produced by a named model.

3 of 3 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.

InferredRigid plates moving over a weaker, slowly flowing asthenosphere.

The rigid lithosphere is thought to float or move about on the slowly flowing asthenosphere beneath it.

Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source

Evidence: Kious 1996 Primary authority

EstablishedRigid mechanical layer: crust plus rigid uppermost mantle, broken into moving plates.

The lithosphere is a rigid layer of rock formed by the crust together with the cooler, rigid upper part of the mantle, and it is broken up into moving plates.

Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source

Evidence: Kious 1996 Primary authority

Established80 km

The lithosphere averages at least 80 kilometres in thickness over much of the Earth.

  • precision note: A lower bound on the average; thinnest under the oceans and in volcanically active continental areas.

Evidence support: Supported by the cited evidence one source

Evidence: Kious 1996 Primary authority

In the knowledge graph

Record last updated 2026-09-06. Corrections follow the published corrections policy; superseded claims are retained, never silently edited.