Definition and introduction. The continental lithosphere consists of the continental crust and, typically, some nonconvecting part of the underlying upper mantle (Figure 1). In plate tectonics terms, the continental lithosphere is part of the rigid outer rind of the Earth, which is segmented into several major plates.The cold lithosphere lies atop a hotter, more mobile (low strength) asthenosphere.n plate tectonics terms, the continental lithosphere is part of the rigid outer rind of the Earth, which is segmented into several major plates. The cold lithosphere lies atop a hotter, more mobile (low strength) asthenosphere.