asthenosphere

See also: asthénosphère

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἀσθενής (asthenḗs, “weak”) + -sphere.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /asˈθɛnə(ʊ)sfɪə/

Noun

asthenosphere (plural asthenospheres)

1. (geology) The zone of the Earth's upper mantle, below the lithosphere.
   • 2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, page 192:

     To say that the lithosphere floats on top of the asthenosphere suggests a degree of easy buoyancy that isn't quite right.

   • 2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 79:

     The asthenosphere that underlies the surface plates is not liquid in any vernacular sense, although it is relatively plastic.

Derived terms

• asthenospheric

 

Translations

the zone of the Earth's upper mantle, below the lithosphere

• Catalan: astenosfera f
• Finnish: astenosfääri (fi)
• French: asthénosphère (fr) f
• Georgian: ასტენოსფერო (asṭenospero)
• German: Asthenosphäre (de) f
• Greek: ασθενόσφαιρα f (asthenósfaira)
• Irish: astanaisféar m
• Italian: astenosfera f
• Persian: سست‌سپهر (sost-sepehr)
• Polish: astenosfera (pl) f
• Russian: астеносфе́ра (ru) f (astenosféra)
• Serbo-Croatian: astenosfera (sh) f
• Spanish: astenosfera (es) f