The tectonic plates on Earth's surface move due to a process known as plate tectonics. This is driven by the movement of the Earth's mantle, which is made up of solid rock that is capable of slowly flowing over long periods of time.
The main driving force behind plate tectonics is convection currents in the mantle. Heat from the Earth's core causes the mantle to become hotter and less dense, while the cooler, denser rock sinks towards the core. This creates a circular motion of the rock in the mantle, similar to the movement of boiling water in a pot.
As the hot rock rises towards the surface, it pushes against the tectonic plates, causing them to move. The plates can either move apart, collide, or slide past each other at their boundaries. These interactions between the plates are responsible for various geological features such as mountain ranges, earthquakes, and oceanic trenches.
why do tectonic plates on earth's surface move
the pressure from the ground pushes the plates apart
the plates are surrounded by bodies of water that push the plates
the iron blocks in earths core collide and move the plates
the heart from earths core moves molten beneath the plates
3 answers
pick one of them
The correct answer is:
The movement of tectonic plates on Earth's surface is primarily driven by the process of convection in the Earth's mantle. The mantle is a layer of partially molten rock that lies beneath the Earth's crust. When this molten rock heats up, it becomes less dense and rises towards the surface. As it reaches the surface, it spreads out laterally and eventually cools and sinks back down. This continuous cycle of heating, rising, spreading, cooling, and sinking is known as convection. The movement of the dense, sinking rock in the mantle is responsible for pushing the tectonic plates apart and causing them to move.
The movement of tectonic plates on Earth's surface is primarily driven by the process of convection in the Earth's mantle. The mantle is a layer of partially molten rock that lies beneath the Earth's crust. When this molten rock heats up, it becomes less dense and rises towards the surface. As it reaches the surface, it spreads out laterally and eventually cools and sinks back down. This continuous cycle of heating, rising, spreading, cooling, and sinking is known as convection. The movement of the dense, sinking rock in the mantle is responsible for pushing the tectonic plates apart and causing them to move.
1 answer