How high the lithosphere floats will depend on the balance between gravity pulling the lithosphere down, and the force of buoyancy as the mantle resists the downward motion of the lithosphere. Isostas...How high the lithosphere floats will depend on the balance between gravity pulling the lithosphere down, and the force of buoyancy as the mantle resists the downward motion of the lithosphere. Isostasy is the state in which the force of gravity pulling the plate toward Earth’s centre is balanced by the resistance of the mantle to letting the plate sink.
