How does the asthenosphere differ from the lithosphere?
A) The asthenosphere is the outermost layer made of solid rock while the lithosphere is the innermost layer made of molten rock.
B) The asthenosphere is the innermost layer made of molten rock while the lithosphere is the outermost layer made of solid rock.
C) The asthenosphere is at the core of the earth and the lithosphere surrounds it.
D) The hundred-kilometer plates of the lithosphere rest upon the weaker and less rigid rock of the asthenosphere.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The asthenosphere is a layer of relatively weak and ductile rock below the lithosphere, which is the outermost solid layer of Earth. The lithosphere is composed of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle, and it is divided into tectonic plates that ride on the asthenosphere, which is less rigid and more easily deformed than the lithosphere. Therefore, the hundred-kilometer plates of the lithosphere rest upon the weaker and less rigid rock of the asthenosphere.

How Does the Asthenosphere Differ from the Lithosphere