Lithosphere

Lithosphere

The lithosphere is the outer solid part of the earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle. 

The lithosphere is about 100 km thick, although its thickness is age dependent (older lithosphere is thicker).

a) Oceanic lithosphere

The lithosphere is composed of crust and hard upper mantle. The oceanic lithosphere would be

hard upper mantle and basaltic oceanic crust.Oceanic consists mainly of mafic crust and ultramafic mantle (peridotite) and is denser than 

the continental lithosphere, for which the mantle is associated with crust made of felsic rocks. 

b) Subducted lithosphere

The lithosphere, Greek for “rocky sphere,” is the outermost shell of the Earth. The term is also used to refer to the outermost rocky shell of other solid planets. It is a relatively thin layer, 50-100 km thick under the oceans, 150 km thick on the continents.

 The lithosphere is composed of the upper crust, 5 km thick in the oceans and 65 km thick on the continents, and the upper mantle, which makes up the remainder.

c) Mantle xenoliths

Mantle xenoliths provide unique information about the chemistry and mineralogy of 

deep lithospheric rock types (e.g. Nixon, 1987; O’Reilly & Griffin, 1996). Studies of upper-mantle 

xenoliths in alkali basalts, kimberlites, lamproites and carbonatites have improved our understanding of materials and processes.

Lithosphere

The lithosphere is the outer solid part of the earth, including the crust and uppermost mantle. It is about 100 km thick, although its thickness is age dependent.

a) Oceanic lithosphere

The lithosphere is composed of crust and hard upper mantle. The oceanic lithosphere would be hard upper mantle and basaltic oceanic crust.

b) Subducted lithosphere

It  is a relatively thin layer, 50-100 km thick under the oceans, 150 km thick on the continents.

The lithosphere is composed of the upper crust, 5 km thick in the oceans and 65 km thick on the continents, and the upper mantle, which makes up the remainder.

c) Mantle xenoliths

Mantle xenoliths provide unique information about the chemistry and mineralogy of deep lithospheric rock types