Select the correct location on the diagram.

Question

The material in Earth's mantle is driven by convection currents. The heat of the Earth's core is carried toward the surface as hot magma expands and rises. When the current reaches the solid lithosphere, it spreads and moves in different directions along the bottoms of tectonic plates. The diagram below illustrates this process. The red circle indicates a location where a convection current reaches the lithosphere and spreads in different directions as it cools.

The following diagram is of the Earth's surface from above. The yellow lines indicate the boundaries between the Earth's major tectonic plates. The arrows indicate the directions and relative speeds of the plates as they move.

Which red circle on the diagram indicates a location at which a convection current of hot, liquid magma is reaching the lithosphere and spreading?

Answer 1

To accurately select the correct location on the diagram that indicates where a convection current reaches the lithosphere and spreads, look for a region where the tectonic plate boundaries are characterized by divergent movement (where plates are moving apart) or a location near a mid-ocean ridge or a hotspot.

1. Mid-Ocean Ridge: If the diagram shows a mid-ocean ridge (areas where new crust is formed as magma rises), this is a classic location for convection currents reaching the lithosphere.

2. Divergent Boundaries: Look for red circles near areas where arrows are indicating the plates moving apart. This suggests that magma is rising to fill the gap created by the tectonic plates moving away from each other.

3. Hotspots: If the diagram includes a hotspot (often shown as a circular area away from the edges of the plates), that is another point where convection currents can reach the lithosphere.

Without seeing the actual diagram, the most logical choice would be to identify any red circle that aligns with these characteristics in relation to the tectonic plate boundaries being shown. If the red circle is located at a divergent boundary or a mid-ocean ridge, that's likely the correct location of the convection current reaching the lithosphere.