What does asthenosphere mean in Greek?
What does asthenosphere mean in Greek?
The asthenosphere (Ancient Greek: ἀσθενός [asthenos] meaning “without strength” and σφαίρα [sphaira] meaning “sphere”) is the highly viscous, mechanically weak, and ductile region of the upper mantle of Earth.
Where does the name asthenosphere come from?
The asthenosphere gets its name from the Greek word for weak, asthenis, because of the relatively fragile nature of the materials of which it is made. It lies in the upper portion of Earth’s structure traditionally known as the mantle.
What’s another word for asthenosphere?
In this page you can discover 3 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for asthenosphere, like: lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere.
What is the asthenosphere Why is it important?
The asthenosphere is now thought to play a critical role in the movement of plates across the face of Earth’s surface. Some observers have described the asthenosphere as the ‘lubricating oil’ that permits the movement of plates in the lithosphere. …
What does Asthen mean?
asthen(o)- word element [Gr.], weak; weakness.
What does the term asthenosphere literally mean?
What does the term “asthenosphere” literally mean? weak sphere.
What is an example of asthenosphere?
The upper layer of asthenosphere under the South American plate, for example, is moving inexorably westward. The plates constitute the hard lithosphere – literally, ‘sphere of rock’ – which floats atop the hot, semi-molten asthenosphere – ‘sphere of weakness’.
What is a antonym for asthenosphere?
noun. The lower layer of the crust. Antonyms. natural object courtesy. layer.
How do scientists describe the asthenosphere?
The asthenosphere is the denser, weaker layer beneath the lithospheric mantle. It lies between about 100 kilometers (62 miles) and 410 kilometers (255 miles) beneath Earth’s surface. The temperature and pressure of the asthenosphere are so high that rocks soften and partly melt, becoming semi-molten.
What is the asthenosphere kids definition?
The asthenosphere is a layer of rock beneath the Earth’s crust, where the Earth’s solid crust and rocky upper mantle, or lithosphere, meet the lower layers of the mantle. Below the crust is the mantle. The mantle is a thick rocky layer almost 3000km deep that makes up most of the Earth’s volume.
What is the definition of asthenosphere in English?
Define asthenosphere. asthenosphere synonyms, asthenosphere pronunciation, asthenosphere translation, English dictionary definition of asthenosphere. n. A zone of the earth’s mantle that lies beneath the lithosphere and consists of several hundred kilometers of deformable rock.
Where is the asthenosphere located at a subduction boundary?
The asthenosphere shown at a subduction boundary. The asthenosphere (from Greek ἀσθενής asthenḗs ‘weak’ + “sphere”) is the highly viscous, mechanically weak and ductilely deforming region of the upper mantle of the Earth.
How does the asthenosphere move across the mantle?
‘Because the radioactive source of heat is deep within the mantle, the fluid asthenosphere circulates as convection currents underneath the solid lithosphere.’ ‘Across the ridge, the asymmetric flow pattern in the asthenosphere will cause differential drag at the base of the lithosphere.’
What is the difference between the LVZ and the asthenosphere?
The lower boundary of the LVZ lies at a depth of 180–220 km, whereas the base of the asthenosphere lies at a depth of about 700 km.
