What does the lithosphere consist of? Only the Earth's crust The atmosphere and hydrosphere combined The Earth's crust and the uppermost part of the mantle The entire mantle and core of the Earth How do tectonic plates interact within the lithosphere? They float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath They are composed entirely of water. They are fixed and do not move They float on the solid mantle beneath.

The lithosphere consists of the Earth's crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. Tectonic plates within the lithosphere float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath.

## Step 1The lithosphere is the solid outer section of the Earth, which includes the Earth's crust (the "skin" of rock on the outer layer of planet Earth), as well as the part of the mantle below. ## Step 2The lithosphere is broken up into tectonic plates. These plates "float" on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them, which allows for the plates to move and interact in various ways (such as creating mountains, causing earthquakes, etc.).## Step 3The lithosphere does not include the atmosphere (the air around the planet) or the hydrosphere (all the water on the planet), nor does it include the entire mantle and core of the Earth.