Astenosferaser o no ser

Abstract

This paper aims to revise the history and present meaning of the asthenosphere concept, a keystone in modern Earth Sciences. Defined by Barrell in 1914, at a time when Alfred Wegener was outlining his first attack on the fixed Earth, it was rescued by the geophysicist-revolutionaries of the 60s, only to be kidnapped right afterward by some hurried seismologists, and at last brought back centre stage with the latest version of plate tectonics. The best geophysical data currently define the asthenosphere as the entire upper, non-lithospheric mantle. In addition to this historical account, the article also contains revisions of other important concepts regarding the Earth’s interior, such as the engine that propels the lithospheric plates or the avalanches that silently run through the deep mantle. It also explores some poorly-defined areas of the planet’s innards: the battlefield between the upper and lower mantle, and the still elusive heat sources that move everything down there.