What is Litosphere ?

         The Earth's crust is the outermost solid surface of the planet and is chemically and mechanically different from the underlying mantle. The crust has been produced chiefly by igneous processes in which magma cools and solidifies to form solid rock. Beneath this lithosphere lies the mantle which is heated by radioactive decay. This solid mantle exists in a state of rheic convection, which process causes the lithospheric plates to move very slowly. The resulting process is known as plate tectonics. Volcanoes result primarily from the melting of subducted crust material or of rising mantle at mid-ocean ridges and mantle plumes.

The outer crust has rich diversity of mineral features and rock geometrics, due to the compression of sedimentary layers, uplift, volcanism and diverse weathering of surface soils. In addition to the mechanical forces, there are numerous chemical processes which enrich the diversity of natural mineral occurrences. []

 (Mac.Noumi / 5 February 2016).

Picture resource : National Geographic Document 

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