GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The energy source for plate tectonics is Earth’s internal heat while the forces moving the plates are the “ridge push” and “slab pull” gravity forces.

Detailed explanation-2: -Slab pull is a force that results from denser oceanic plates sinking beneath less dense continental plates along convergent boundaries and subduction zones. The gravitation force of the sinking oceanic plate drags the rest of the oceanic plate along with the portion experiencing slab pull.

Detailed explanation-3: -Geologists have hypothesized that the movement of tectonic plates is related to convection currents in the earth’s mantle. Convection currents describe the rising, spread, and sinking of gas, liquid, or molten material caused by the application of heat.

Detailed explanation-4: -The internal heat of the earth is the most likely cause of plate movement; this heat is probably generated by the decay of radioactive minerals. The entire surface of the earth is moving, and each plate is moving in a different direction than any other.