Question

Which of the following is not a feature of the lithosphere?

• A. Mountains
• B. Valleys
• C. Ocean trenches
• D. Ozone layer

Hint:

• The lithosphere is the Earth's solid outer layer, including the crust and upper mantle. It comprises landforms like mountains, valleys, plains, and ocean floor features like trenches and mid-ocean ridges.
• The atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding the Earth. It has different layers (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere).
• The ozone layer is located in the stratosphere, which is part of the atmosphere, not the lithosphere.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The lithosphere is the rigid, outermost shell of a terrestrial-type planet or natural satellite. On Earth, it is composed of the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time scales of thousands of years or greater. The lithosphere is broken into tectonic plates. Features of the lithosphere include all landforms and geological structures on the Earth's solid surface and ocean floor.

• Mountains (option a): These are large natural elevations of the earth's surface, formed by tectonic plate movements, volcanic activity, or erosion. They are prominent features of the lithosphere.
• Valleys (option b): These are low areas between hills or mountains, typically with a river or stream flowing through them, formed by erosion or rifting. They are also features of the lithosphere.
• Ocean trenches (option c): These are long, narrow, deep depressions on the ocean floor, typically found at convergent plate boundaries where one tectonic plate subducts under another. They are significant features of the oceanic lithosphere.
• Ozone layer (option d): The ozone layer is a region of Earth's stratosphere (part of the atmosphere) that absorbs most of the Sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is composed of ozone (O$_3$) gas. The atmosphere is distinct from the lithosphere. The lithosphere is the solid Earth, while the atmosphere is the layer of gases surrounding the Earth.

Therefore, the ozone layer is not a feature of the lithosphere. \[ \boxed{\text{Ozone layer}} \]