Why don't tall mountains in the continental crust sink and disappear into the partially melted asthenosphere?
A) The asthenosphere is rigid and doesn't allow the mountain to sink.
B) The continental crust is lighter than the asthenosphere so it can't sink.
C) Mountains do sink into the asthenosphere, but only until they have displaced a volume of asthenosphere equal to their mass.
D) The asthenosphere is constantly building up the mountain from below so it can't sink.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mountains do sink into the asthenosphere, but only until they have displaced a volume of asthenosphere equal to their mass. This is because the asthenosphere is less dense than the continental crust, so the mountain will float on the asthenosphere until it has displaced a volume of asthenosphere equal to its mass.

Why Don't Tall Mountains in the Continental Crust Sink and Disappear