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What is the asthenosphere made of?

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Rocks in the asthenosphere are "plastic", meaning that they can flow in response to deformation. Even though it can flow, the asthenosphere is still made of solid (not liquid) rock; you can think of it kind of like Silly Putty. read more

Quick Answer. The asthenosphere is made up of mafic and ultramafic rocks. It has the same material as the upper lithosphere, but the material in the asthenosphere is in a plastic, viscous state and moves around much more readily than the material in the lithosphere. read more

The asthenosphere is the layer of the Earth that lies below the lithosphere. It is a layer of solid rock that has so much pressure and heat the rocks can flow like a liquid. The rocks are less dense than the rocks in the lithosphere. read more

A: As part of the earth's upper mantle, the asthenosphere is thought to contain rock material made from peridotite, eclogite, olivine, spinel, garnet and pyroxene. The asthenosphere is about 50 to 124 miles beneath the earth's surface, and it is described as viscous, meaning it can move and flow, and plastic, meaning it responds to deformation. read more

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