Lithosphere of these xenoliths have been investigated by many methods, including analyses of abundances of isotopes of osmium and rhenium. Such studies have confirmed that mantle lithospheres below some cratons have persisted for periods in excess of 3 billion years, despite the mantle flow that accompanies plate tectonics. Lithosphere A lithosphere ( ["lithos"] for "rocky", and ["sphaira"] for "sphere") is the rigid, outermost shell of a terrestrial-type planet, or natural satellite, that is defined by its rigid mechanical properties. On Earth, it is composed of the crust and the portion of the upper mantle that behaves elastically on time scales of
Iced Earth introduced the Something Wicked Saga, which was later expanded upon on 2007's "", and 2008's "". Iced Earth have also released several albums written around a theme. 2001's "Horror Show" was largely based on horror literature and films, 2004's "The Glorious Burden" was inspired by history and war, while 2011's "Dystopia" centered around dystopian themes in literature and film. Iced Earth Iced Earth is an American heavy metal band from Tampa, Florida. It was formed in 1984 under the name The Rose, then Purgatory by guitarist and main songwriter Jon Schaffer and original drummer Greg Seymour. Iced Earth released their