Question

Which statement correctly compares the thicknesses of Earth’s layers? Earth’s mantle is thinner than its oceanic crust. Earth’s outer core is thicker than its mantle. Earth’s continental crust is thicker than its lithosphere. Earth’s lithosphere is thinner than its asthenosphere.

Answer 1

earth's lithosphere is thinner than is asthenosphere

Answer 2

“The Earth’s lithosphere is thinner than its asthenosphere”, the statement correctly compares the thicknesses of Earth’s layers

Answer: Option D

Explanation:

The outermost parts of the Earth composed of crust and a part of the upper mantle is termed as lithosphere. And asthenosphere is positioned below lithosphere. The bottom layer of lithosphere has the parts of the upper crust.

So the highly viscous and ductile region in the remaining part of the upper crust forms the asthenosphere below the lithosphere. The upper crust in the lithosphere region contain elastic properties while the upper crust in the asthenosphere is ductile in nature. Thus the statement that lithosphere is thinner than asthenosphere is true as it is located at the surface.