Which term describes the rigid outer shell of the Earth that includes the crust and the upper mantle?

Which term describes the rigid outer shell of the Earth that includes the crust and the upper mantle?

• A. Asthenosphere
• B. Lithosphere
• C. Mantle
• D. Core

Answer: (B)

The rigid outer shell of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the upper part of the mantle, is called the lithosphere. This part behaves as a solid and forms the tectonic plates that move very slowly on the surface. Beneath it lies the asthenosphere, a weaker, partially molten layer that can flow and lets the plates move. The mantle as a whole is the entire layer beneath the crust, not just the outer shell, and the core is the Earth's center. So lithosphere is the term that best fits the description.

The rigid outer shell of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the upper part of the mantle, is called the lithosphere. This part behaves as a solid and forms the tectonic plates that move very slowly on the surface. Beneath it lies the asthenosphere, a weaker, partially molten layer that can flow and lets the plates move. The mantle as a whole is the entire layer beneath the crust, not just the outer shell, and the core is the Earth's center. So lithosphere is the term that best fits the description.