The asthenosphere (frae Greek asthenēs 'weak' + sphere) is the heichly viscous, mechanically waik[1] an ductilely-defurmin region o the upper mantle o the Yird. It lies belaw the lithosphere, at depths atween ~80 an ~200 km (~ 50 an 124 mile) ablo the surface. The lithosphere-asthenosphere boondary is uisually referred tae as LAB. Asthenosphere is generally solit altho some its regions coud be meltit (e.g. belaw mid-ocean ridge). The lawer boondary o the asthenophere is nae well defined. The thickness o the asthenosphere depends mainly on the temperatur. For some regions asthenosphere coud extend as deep as 700 km (430 mi). It is considered the soorce region o mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB).[2]

Yird cutaway frae core tae crust, the asthenosphere lyin atween the upper mantle an the lithospheric mantle (detail nae tae scale)

References eedit

  1. Barrel, J. The strength of the crust, Part VI. Relations of isostatic movements to a sphere of weakness - the astenosphere. J. Geol. 22, 655-683, 1914.
  2. Hofmann, A.W., 1997. Mantle geochemistry: the message from oceanic volcanism. Nature 385, 219-228.