asthenosphere

300px|thumb|upright=1.6|The asthenosphere shown at a subduction boundary

AI overview

The asthenosphere is a layer of Earth's upper mantle that lies beneath the rigid tectonic plates and behaves in a more plastic, flowing manner. It's important because it allows the tectonic plates above to move and shift, which drives major geological processes like earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the formation of mountains and ocean basins.

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Commons category: Structure of the Earth

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~8 min read

Article

10 sections

Contents

Characteristics
Boundaries
Lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary
Lower boundary of asthenosphere
Origin
Magma generation
See also
References
Bibliography
External links

300px|thumb|upright=1.6|The asthenosphere shown at a subduction boundary

The asthenosphere () is the mechanically weak and ductile region of the upper mantle of Earth. It lies below the lithosphere, at a depth between c. below the surface, and extends as deep as . However, the lower boundary of the asthenosphere is not well defined.