Continental lithosphere is the rigid outer shell of Earth underlying continental regions, comprising continental crust and the uppermost mantle that deform together elastically on short timescales. It is typically 100–250 km thick, much thicker than oceanic lithosphere, and characterized by low-density, silica-rich crust overlying chemically depleted, mechanically strong mantle lithosphere. Its thickness and thermal structure are controlled by tectonic setting, composition, and long-term cooling, influencing isostasy, topography, and intraplate stress. Continental lithosphere plays a central role in plate tectonics, accommodating deformation at plate boundaries, stabilizing cratons, and modulating magmatism, seismicity, and mantle convection patterns.
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