During the 1970s to 2000s, more than 180 studies of the elastic thickness of the lithosphere were published. The results of these studies have provided a wealth of new information on the long-term mechanical properties of the lithosphere and their relationship to plate and load age. Although the results of individual studies are subject to uncertainties, the analysis of large, global data sets tends to ‘smooth’ out local discrepancies and, hence, make it more likely they will reveal the main features that describe the long-term behaviour of the lithosphere.

Oceanic and continental flexure studies suggest that the long-term behaviour of the lithosphere can be modelled, to first order, as a thin elastic plate that overlies an inviscid fluid. The thickness of the elastic plate, Te, varies both spatially and temporally, and this has provided information on the relationship between load and plate age.