Lithosphere

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LITHOSPHERE

SAIMA KHAN PLANT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

LITHOSPHERE
Lithosphere is derived from two Greek words Lithos and Sphaira
which means Rocky Surface.

The lithosphere is the solid outer zone of earth which is fragmented


into a dozen of huge, irregularly shaped pieces, called tectonic plates, which are in constant motion and slide over on top of the partly molten inner layer.

The lithosphere has an average thickness of 62 miles (100 km).

STRUCTURE OF LITHOSPHERE
The lithosphere is the hard shell of the Earth, consisting of two parts Crust Upper most part of mantle

CRUST
Crust is the outermost solid layer of the earth which averages about 60
kilometers in thickness.

It is relatively thin than mantle. Crust under the oceans is only about 5
km thick while crust under continents can be up to 65 km thick. Oceanic crust is made of denser minerals than continental crust.

It is composed of two basic rock types granite and basalt. The


continental crust is composed mostly of granite. The oceanic crust consists of a volcanic lava rock called basalt.

MANTLE
The widest section of the Earth is the mantle with an approximate
diameter of 2,900 km.

The mantle is composed of semi-molten rock called magma. The upper


parts of the mantle are hard rock but deeper within the rock is softer and beginning to melt.

Mantle is rich in iron and nickel.

TYPES OF LITHOSPHERE
There are two types of lithosphere Continental lithosphere Oceanic lithosphere Continental lithosphere
The dry land of Earths surface is called the continental crust. It is about 15 to 75 km thick. It is the layer of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. Continental crust makes up about 70% of the volume of Earth's crust.

Oceanic lithosphere It is the part of Earth's lithosphere that surfaces in the ocean basins. It is primarily composed of mafic rocks, or sima. Rich in iron and magnesium. The oceanic crust is thinner than the continental crust. Its average
thickness is 5 to 10 km.

IMPORTANCE OF LITHOSPHERE
lithosphere is very important because it is a large reservoir of
resources.

It serves as a source of minerals. The minerals supply the basic


materials required for making a variety of commodities, which man uses daily.

lithosphere is also the major source of fuels such as coal, petroleum


and a natural gas.

lithosphere in combination with the hydrosphere and the atmosphere


plays a vital role in the growth of plants and animals. It provides nutrients to the plants.

when lithosphere is broken up into plates, a dozen large ones and


several smaller ones.

These plates move relative to each other at rates of about 5 cm to 10


cm a year causing movement of the Earth. These plates movement or plate tectonics cause earthquakes around the globe.

Tsunami is also an example of earth quakes.

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