Definition: Given a context passage, generate a question from the passage such that its answer is shortest continous span from the passage.
Input: The lithosphere is composed of both the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that behaves as a brittle, rigid solid. The lithosphere is the outermost mechanical layer, which behaves as a brittle, rigid solid. The lithosphere is about 100 kilometers thick. How are crust and lithosphere different from each other? The definition of the lithosphere is based on how Earth materials behave, so it includes the crust and the uppermost mantle, which are both brittle. Since it is rigid and brittle, when stresses act on the lithosphere, it breaks. This is what we experience as an earthquake. Although we sometimes refer to Earths plates as being plates of crust, the plates are actually made of lithosphere. Much more about Earths plates follows in the chapter "Plate Tectonics." The asthenosphere is solid upper mantle material that is so hot that it behaves plastically and can flow. The lithosphere rides on the asthenosphere.
