0
What else can I help you with?
What do the 7 plates in the lithosphere float on?
The tectonic plates which form Earth's crust move on top of the outer layer of the mantle. This layer of the mantle is known as the asthenosphere.
What makes a tectonic plate move what layer makes up this plate?
Tectonic plates are part of the Earth's crust. They move because they float on top of the Earth's mantle, which is a layer of hot liquid rock, and there are currents in the mantle which exert force on the crust.
Why do the earths continents float on the liquids mantle of the earth?
The continents "float" on the liquid mantle of the Earth because the metals that make up the mantle are very dense. The continents move when magma is pushed through the crust of the Earth in places like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The continents "float" on the liquid mantle of the Earth because the metals that make up the mantle are very dense. The continents move when magma is pushed through the crust of the Earth in places like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
On what part of the earth do the crustal plates float?
The crustal plates float on the asthenosphere, which is a semi-solid layer of the upper mantle beneath the Earth's crust. This layer allows the crustal plates to move over time due to convection currents in the mantle.
What does earths plates float on?
Earth is made up of: the inner core, the outer core, the mantle, and the crust. The crust of the earth, or the outer rocky layer, is divided between oceanic crust and continental crust. These crusts float atop the mantle, which is made up of very hot molten rock. All of the continents, including Australia, are constantly moving, or floating.
What layer of the earth supports the crust?
The upper part of the mantle called the asthenosphere is the layer on which the earth's lithosphere (crust plus uppermost rigid mantle) rides.This soft layer serves as support for the crust to float and move over time due to its partial suspension.
Is the rock in the crust able to move around more easily than the rock in the lower mantle since the rock in the crust moves around differently than rock in the lower mantle?
The rock in the lower mantle moves around easily than the crust. This is because rock in the lower mantle is hotter and closer to its melting point. Rocks in the crust are cooler thus harder to move around.
Why is the earths crust always moving?
Simple- Convection in the mantle causes mantle to slowly move, and it pushes against the crust. As it does this, the tectonic plates move.
What are the sections of the earths crust that float on the melted section of the mantle?
The sections of the Earth's crust that float on the partially melted section of the mantle are known as tectonic plates. These plates consist of both continental and oceanic crust and are rigid sections that move slowly over the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them. Their interactions can lead to geological phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the formation of mountains.
How can the continents float?
Tectonic plates are either oceanic crust and/or continental crust and the upper solid layer of the mantle. The continental crust is composed of felsic (rich in feldspars and silica) rocks and the oceanic crust of mafic (rich in magnesium and iron) rocks. The mantle however is composed of peridotite (which is ultramafic meaning it has very high concentrations of the denser magnesium and iron minerals). As such it is much denser than either the mafic or felsic rocks of the crust and the density increases with increasing depth. The crust and solid upper mantle are known together as the lithosphere as they have similar mechanical properties (behaving as a brittle solid) and are separated into the tectonic plates which effectively float on the underlying asthenosphere which is a denser plastic like zone below them the mantle. Ultimately the "floating" of tectonic plates on the upper mantle is due to the density contrast between the materials composing the lithosphere and asthenosphere.
How does the earth's plates move on top of the crust?
The Earth's tectonic plates do not move on top of the crust, they are the crust. The crust is made out of plates. The plates float on top of the mantle, which is made of molten rock, called magma. The plates move because of currents in the magma.
Why did the contents move apart?
Because they "float" on the mantle and the mantle undergoes a process of convection.
