Some issues on the strength of the lithosphere

Abstract

The strength of the oceanic and continental lithosphere has important controls on some of the major geological processes on earth including the operation of plate tectonics and the long-term stability of the continental roots. However, explaining these major geological features from the experimental and theoretical studies on the strength of rocks is challenging and some of the existing models for the strength of the lithosphere do not explain these main geological observations. A brief review is provided to summarize recent progress in these areas with the emphasis on experimental studies.

Keywords

lithosphere / plate tectonics / continent

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