tectosphere

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noun

the part of the mantle lying below cratons, which moves during tectonic activity

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Meanings

nountectosphere (plural tectospheres)

plural tectospheres

  1. geographythe part of the mantle lying below cratons, which moves during tectonic activity

    Next Reports Geodynamic Evidence for a Chemically Depleted Continental Tectosphere Alessandro M. Forte * and H. K. Claire Perry The tectosphere, namely the portions of Earth's mantle lying below cratons, has a thermochemical structure that differs from average suboceanic mantle.

    2000 December 8, Alessandro M. Forte, H. Claire Perry, “Geodynamic Evidence for a Chemically Depleted Continental Tectosphere”, in Science, volume 290, number 5498, →DOI, pages 1940–1944

Origin

From tecto- + -sphere.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tectosphere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tectosphere

MLA

“tectosphere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tectosphere. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tectosphere,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tectosphere.

Source: tectosphere on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.