lithosphere
noun
lith·o·sphere
ˈli-thə-ˌsfir 
: the solid part of a celestial body (such as the earth)
specifically
: the outer part of the solid earth composed of rock essentially like that exposed at the surface, consisting of the crust and outermost layer of the mantle, and usually considered to be about 60 miles (100 kilometers) in thickness
Examples of lithosphere in a Sentence
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They are believed to form when hot, plumes from deep inside a planet push against its outer shell called the lithosphere.
—
Victoria Corless, Space.com, 19 May 2025
In places where the lithosphere is stiffer, entire slabs of crust could subduct in a small-scale, circular mirror of Earth’s subduction zones, like those that form the Pacific Ocean’s famed volcanic Ring of Fire.
—Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 13 May 2025
How the continents formed Earth’s uppermost layer, the lithosphere, is made up of the rigid crust and the top part of the mantle, which is in a denser, but more fluid state.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
Unlike hotspots that create volcanic islands, such as those in Hawaii, the Cape Verde hotspot's effect on the Great Lakes was more subtle due to the thick, stable lithosphere of the North American continent.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
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Victoria Corless, Space.com, 19 May 2025
In places where the lithosphere is stiffer, entire slabs of crust could subduct in a small-scale, circular mirror of Earth’s subduction zones, like those that form the Pacific Ocean’s famed volcanic Ring of Fire.
—Elise Cutts, Scientific American, 13 May 2025
How the continents formed Earth’s uppermost layer, the lithosphere, is made up of the rigid crust and the top part of the mantle, which is in a denser, but more fluid state.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 18 Apr. 2025
Unlike hotspots that create volcanic islands, such as those in Hawaii, the Cape Verde hotspot's effect on the Great Lakes was more subtle due to the thick, stable lithosphere of the North American continent.
—Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lithosphere
Cite this Entry
“Lithosphere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lithosphere. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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