The asthenosphere is a 110 miles (180 km) thick layer of the upper mantle that sits between the lower mantle and the lithosphere, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Though the asthenosphere is made of rock, it is under intense pressure that can cause its contents to flow. "Thermal convection in Earth's mantle generates dynamic pressure variations," Semple said.

Away from the active mid-ocean ridges, the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB) lies at least tens of kilometres below the ocean floor, making direct investigation impossible for now. The LAB is ...

A previously unknown layer of partially molten rock has been detected beneath Earth’s crust. The discovery could help scientists learn more about the motions of Earth’s tectonic plates.

HOUSTON -- (May 29, 2018) -- New simulations of Earth's asthenosphere find that convective cycling and pressure-driven flow can sometimes cause the planet's most fluid layer of mantle to move even ...

Sandwiched between the atmosphere above and the asthenosphere below, the lithosphere can reach depths of up to 190 miles (300 kilometers), according to The Geological Society.. At the lithosphere ...

A 3D computer model of the asthenosphere by Rice University geophysicists finds that the convective cycling and pressure-driven flow can sometimes cause the asthenosphere to move even faster than ...

Analysis of the postseismic deformation of the moment magnitude 8.6 Indian Ocean earthquake in 2012 reveals that the asthenospheric layer must be thin and of low viscosity, constraining the ...

Scientists have long wondered why the asthenosphere, the lower part of Earth's mantle, is relatively weak compared to the crust, and seismic waves are providing some clues.

The discovery reveals that the mantle under Earth's oceans — the area just below the crust that extends down to the planet's inner liquid core — is almost 110 degrees F (60 degrees C) hotter ...