asthenolith
|as-the-no-lith|
/ˈæsθənəˌlɪθ/
weak/ductile stone in the mantle
Etymology
'asthenolith' originates from Greek, specifically the elements 'asthenēs' and 'lithos', where 'asthenēs' meant 'weak' and 'lithos' meant 'stone'.
'asthenolith' was coined in modern scientific/New Latin usage from Greek roots ('asthenēs' + 'lithos') to describe a 'weak stone' in geological contexts and entered English technical literature as a specialized geological term.
Initially the components literally meant 'weak stone'; over time the compounded form came to mean a specific geological object: a ductile or partially molten rock body within the asthenosphere or upper mantle.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a rare technical geological term for a discrete, relatively weak or partially molten body of rock within the asthenosphere or upper mantle; used to describe a localized zone of reduced viscosity or partial melt.
Seismic imaging revealed what researchers interpreted as an asthenolith beneath the continental plate, indicating localized partial melting.
Synonyms
Noun 2
less commonly, a general term for any unusually weak or plastic rock mass (literally 'weak stone'), especially in contrast to surrounding, more rigid lithosphere.
In older geological literature the term was occasionally used to denote any weak rock unit contrasted with surrounding rigid strata.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/11/06 08:32