A team uses seismic and heat flow data to predict future crustal deformation. Which layer should they study, and why?

The asthenosphere is a hot, slowly flowing part of the upper mantle beneath the lithosphere. Its movement helps drive tectonic plates, which deform Earth's crust, so studying it can help predict future deformation. The outer core generates Earth's magnetic field, not mantle cooling, and the other choices give incorrect reasons for studying those layers.

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