Question

which is responsible for the movement of a large plates and formation of volcanoes

Answer 1

The movement of large plates and the formation of volcanoes are primarily caused by tectonic plate activity. The Earth's surface is made up of several rigid pieces called tectonic plates. These plates are always moving, albeit slowly, and interact at their boundaries. There are three main types of plate boundaries: divergent, convergent, and transform.

At divergent plate boundaries, plates move away from each other. This movement often happens in oceanic areas, creating a gap where hot magma from the mantle rises to the surface, forming volcanic activity. As the magma cools and solidifies, it adds new crust to the Earth's surface.

Convergent plate boundaries occur when two plates collide. Depending on the type of plates involved, three things can happen when plates converge: subduction, collision, or compression. Subduction occurs when an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, causing the denser oceanic plate to sink beneath the continental plate. This can lead to the formation of volcanoes above the subduction zone. Collision happens when two continental plates collide, pushing the crust upwards and forming mountain ranges. Compression occurs when two plates move towards each other, causing intense pressure and potential volcanic activity.

Transform plate boundaries involve plates sliding horizontally past each other. These boundaries do not usually result in the formation of volcanoes, although they can lead to earthquakes due to the immense pressure and energy release when the plates slide past one another.

In summary, the movement of plates and the formation of volcanoes are primarily driven by tectonic plate activity, occurring at divergent and convergent plate boundaries.