GEOLOGY

EARTH SCIENCE

TECTONICS

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
What causes tectonic plates to move along the Earth’s surface?
A
wind
B
ocean currents
C
convection in the mantle
D
expansion of the Earth
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -Magma is the molten rock below the crust, in the mantle. Tremendous heat and pressure within the earth cause the hot magma to flow in convection currents. These currents cause the movement of the tectonic plates that make up the earth’s crust.

Detailed explanation-2: -The heat from radioactive processes within the planet’s interior causes the plates to move, sometimes toward and sometimes away from each other. This movement is called plate motion, or tectonic shift.

Detailed explanation-3: -The forces that drive Plate Tectonics include: Convection in the Mantle (heat driven) Ridge push (gravitational force at the spreading ridges) Slab pull (gravitational force in subduction zones)

Detailed explanation-4: -Mantle convection occurs because relatively hot rocks are less dense and rise in a gravitational field while relatively cold rocks are more dense and sink. The rise of hot rocks advects heat upward while the fall of cold rocks advects cold downward; this counterflow is equivalent to an upward heat flux.

There is 1 question to complete.