The Earth’s crust is the outermost solid layer of the Earth. It is composed mainly of rocks, minerals, and soil. The thickness of the Earth’s crust varies from location to location, but on average, it is approximately 30 kilometers thick beneath continents and 10 kilometers thick beneath the oceans. The Earth’s crust is broken into various plates, which float on the fluid asthenosphere below.
The lithosphere is a broader term that includes not only the Earth’s crust but also the uppermost mantle. It is the rigid outer layer of the Earth that is made up of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. The lithosphere is much thicker than the Earth’s crust and extends down approximately 100 kilometers.
To summarize, the main difference between the Earth’s crust and lithosphere is that the crust is the outermost solid layer of the Earth, while the lithosphere includes both the crust and the rigid uppermost mantle.
Explain what differentiates the Earth’s crust and lithosphere.
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