Question: what is the difference between the crust and mantle?
Answer: The mantle is much thicker, nearly 3,000 km thick, while the crust is on average about 40 km. Mainly due to its cooler temperatures, the crust is stiffer and more rigid. ... A small section of the upper mantle, the asthenosphere, is partially molten, allowing for the movement of the crust as tectonic plates.