The planetary mantle is the predominantly silicate rock region beneath a rocky planet's crust. On geological timescales, solid rock can undergo material creep and support mantle convection without wholesale melting.
A long-term decline in mean interior temperature, distinct from a short transient, a local cold anomaly or a change in the pressure used for a potential temperature. In a mantle thermal budget, cooling requires heat loss to exceed internal generation plus heat entering from below. The rate depends on both the heat sources and the efficiency of transport.
The region of the terrestrial mantle between major seismic discontinuities near 410 and 660 km depth, associated with mineral phase transformations.
The asthenosphere is a relatively weak region of the upper mantle below the mechanically strong lithosphere. A seismic low-velocity zone often occurs in this region, particularly beneath oceanic lithosphere, but mechanical weakness and seismic speed are distinct properties.
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