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# lithosphere

noun (the lithosphere, uncountable)

«lithosphere» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

(science) The lithosphere is the hard, rocky outer layer of the Earth: the crust plus the very top part of the mantle, about 100 km thick, broken into tectonic plates. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lithosphere/#m1)

### In the lessons

In geography and science lessons pupils learn the Earth's layers (crust, mantle, outer core, inner core) and the «spheres»: lithosphere (rock), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air) and biosphere (living things). The lithosphere's plates move slowly, causing earthquakes, volcanoes and mountains. Phrases: «the Earth's lithosphere», «oceanic lithosphere».

### Examples

- The lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lithosphere/#x1)
- The lithosphere includes the crust and the top of the mantle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lithosphere/#x2)
- Earthquakes happen when parts of the lithosphere move. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lithosphere/#x3)
- The lithosphere floats on a softer layer called the asthenosphere. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lithosphere/#x4)
- Rocks, mountains and soil are part of the lithosphere. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lithosphere/#x5)
- The lithosphere is thinner under the oceans than under continents. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lithosphere/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable, used with «the». Pronounced «LITH-oh-sfeer». From Greek «lithos» = stone. Not quite the same as «the crust»: the lithosphere is the crust plus the stiff upper mantle. Myth: the mantle is not a sea of liquid lava; it is mostly solid rock that flows very slowly.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «lithosphere» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/L/lithosphere/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«lithosphere» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/lithosphere.html) on Mova free.