Question

The lithosphere, which includes the crust and upper mantle, is solid because it is cold.

Thus, the lithosphere is brittle. When it breaks, we feel an earthquake.

The asthenosphere is also solid, because the pressure at that depth is so great! Still, believe it or not, rock in the asthenosphere can also actually flow (very very slowly!!) when forces are exerted on that rock.

Rock in the asthenosphere circulates with a motion similar to the movement of material inside a lava lamp—this happens in response to very high heat in the earth's core!

Which of the following solid layers of the earth can flow due to the process of heat transfer called convection?

Select one:

a. Crust

b. Mantle

c. Lithosphere

d. Inner Core

e. Asthenosphere

Answer 1

Option (C)

Step-by-step explanation:

The lithosphere is the hard, outermost portion of the earth. They are very brittle in nature as the rocks are deposited in this region. The rocks here breaks due to deformation. The lithosphere is comprised of numerous small and large plates. They are of 2 types, and they are the oceanic crust and the continental crust.

According to the plate tectonic theory, these plates continuously floats over the less dense asthenosphere layer because of the convection current that forms in the mantle. This current generates due to the heat radiated from the core of the earth.

The asthenosphere is the layer just below then lithosphere and here the rocks are solid in nature but they have the ability to flow in response to deformation.

Thus, the lithosphere as a whole moves due to the convection current.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).