answersLogoWhite

0

This depends at what point on Earth's surface you are interested in!

For example the Mid Atlantic Ridge separating the North American and Eurasian plates is classified as a "slow" spreading centre with a spreading rate of around 25mm/yr (slow spreading centres generally have a rate of between 20-55 mm per year). This means that the North American plate is moving roughly to the west at a rate of 12.5 mm/yr.

However a number of the spreading centres in the Pacific are considered to be "medium to fast" spreading centres with rates of between 80-120 mm/yr.

Another example is the Indian plate which is moving north-east at a rate of approximately 50mm/yr causing it to collide with the more slowly moving Eurasian plate. This event started (and is continuing to cause) the Himalayan orogeny.

User Avatar

Wiki User

14y ago

What else can I help you with?

Related Questions

When does earth crust move?

The tectonic plates of Earth's crust are always moving, but the movement is far too slow to be perceived without sensitive measuring equipment. For example, the northward movement of India at the rate of two inches per year is considered fast. Usually the only times we perceive the movement of Earth's crust are when part of a tectonic plate gets stuck, and the movement of the rest of the plate causes potential energy to build up in the stuck part until it has enough energy to free itself and catch up with the rest of the plate. That is how most earthquakes happen.


Which movement of the Earths crust implies that the continental crust is less dense than the oceanic crust?

Plate tectonic movement and subduction zones.


What are plate movement?

the movement of earths plates or crust


Does lithospheric move slowly or fast?

The lithosphere moves slowly, at a rate of a few centimeters per year. This movement is driven by the slow flow of the underlying mantle in a process called plate tectonics. The movement of lithospheric plates is responsible for natural phenomena like earthquakes and the formation of mountains.


The movement of magma through the Earth's crust is known as?

The movement of magma through the Earth's crust is known as intrusion.


What do you call the sudden movement of the Earth's crust?

The sudden movement of the earth's crust is called and earthquake


How does the movement of the crust along a thrust fault differ from that along a normal fault?

The movement of the crust along a thrust fault is usually a reverse movement unlike the movement along a normal fault.


How does the movement of the crust along a thrust fault differ from that along the normal fault?

The movement of the crust along a thrust fault is usually a reverse movement unlike the movement along a normal fault.


How far does the earth's crust move in one year?

The Earth's crust moves about 2.5 cm per year on average due to plate tectonics. This movement occurs as tectonic plates slowly shift and interact with each other along plate boundaries, causing earthquakes and volcanic activity.


What makes fast changes to earth's crust?

Tectonic plate movements, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes are some of the factors that can lead to fast changes in the Earth's crust. These processes involve the movement or release of pressure within the Earth's layers, causing rapid shifts in the landscape.


What is a sudden movement in the Earth's crust?

earthquakes


What is the sudden movement of earth's crust?

earthquake/fissure