Which option correctly analyses the composition of lithosphere?

Correct answer: Crust and rigid part of upper mantle

The direct answer is A: the crust and the rigid part of the upper mantle. Lithosphere means the hard outer shell of Earth. It is not simply the crust; it includes the crust together with the strong, rigid uppermost mantle below it. Step by step: Earth has an outer solid surface; the crust forms its upper part; beneath the crust is the upper mantle; its rigid upper section joins the crust; this complete rigid layer is called the lithosphere. It is broken into tectonic plates that move slowly over the softer asthenosphere. Option A is correct because it gives both required parts. Option B, only the inner core, is wrong because the inner core lies deep inside Earth and is not part of the lithosphere. Option C, only the liquid outer core, is wrong because the outer core is a deep liquid metallic layer, far below the lithosphere. Option D, only ocean water, is wrong because water covers parts of the crust but is not a solid mechanical layer of Earth. A useful memory cue is: lithosphere equals litho, meaning rock, plus the crust and rigid upper mantle.