This session will consider broadly processes of mantle dynamics and lithospheric tectonics, involving studies that explore the structure and evolution of these regions and the links between them. The mantle is the thermal engine of the planet, transporting heat from the deep interior to the surface through convection and conduction in high-pressure mineral/rock environments. Resolving the nature of mantle dynamics—from deep mantle circulation to upper mantle processes–is key to understanding Earth’s plate tectonics. The lithosphere is tectonically active, and many fundamental questions remain regarding its evolution in plate boundary and even plate interior regions, and from the upper crust to the lowermost lithosphere. The dynamics and the nature of these regions are studied with a variety of observational, experimental, and numerical tools, in a host of tectonic settings and on a variety of length and time-scales. In this cross-disciplinary session, we welcome contributions from fields of research that investigate these mantle and lithosphere dynamics, and the tectonic evolution of the planetary surface.