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How does plate tectonics affect the mantle?
Tectonic Plates float on top of the earths mantle, the earths mantle is made up liquid which is always circulating.
What is the tectonic plates in earth's crust?
plates of the earth's crust that float on top of the molted mantle layer.
What is the soft layer of the mantle where tectonic plates move?
asthenosphere
Why are the layers of the earth in constant motion?
It is because of the convection currents that occurs in the mantle. The heat in the mantle circulates (we know that hot air goes up and cold air goes down) so the plates in the Earth moves. The convection currents are caused by the very hot material at the deepest part of the mantle. The heat causes the land to rise while cooling results the land to sink.
What is happening now at the San Andreas fault zone?
The Earth's crust comprises many pieces called tectonic plates. These structures are in continual motion. They float on top of the layer known as the asthenosphere which is an extremely hot, ductile rock layer, and collide with one another in a perpetual conflict. Heavier oceanic plates generally sink beneath lighter continental plates if they collide head on, causing the continental plates to rise up forming mountains, while the oceanic plates sink beneath, exposing them to enormous heat and pressure that results in their remelting and becoming new mantle or sometimes forming new rock types. These collisions of plates are not always head on. Sometimes the plates slide parallel to one another, as is the case with the San Andreas fault region. Also, sometimes the plates separate from on another causing a linear crack to form, exposing the molten mantle to conditions allowing it to solidify, creating the formation of "new" tectonic plates.
What causes some oceanic plates to sink and others to float?
Oceanic plates sink because they are denser than the underlying mantle, due to cooling and becoming more compact over time. In contrast, other plates float because they are less dense than the mantle material below, allowing them to remain buoyant on top.
When older sink below newer plates does it make it more dense?
Yes, when older, colder oceanic plates sink below younger, warmer plates in a process called subduction, the density of the older plate increases as it is subjected to higher pressures and temperatures in the Earth's mantle. This increase in density allows the plate to sink into the mantle.
Why does plates sometime sink into the mantle?
Plates can sink into the mantle at subduction zones because the descending plate is denser than the underlying mantle. This happens because the oceanic crust of the descending tectonic plate is denser than the underlying mantle rock.
When plates collide with continental plates does the denser ocean plate sink?
Yes, it "dives" under the continental crust and back into the mantle.
Why do some tectonic plates sink while others float?
They all float (on the mantle), some just float lower than others. The main reason is what they're made of; all plates have a high percentage of silica in them, but those with more aluminium than magnesium (continental plates) float higher than those with more magnesium (ocean floor plates) because they're less dense.
If the layers of rock sink to the Earth's mantle as a result of the sliding plates what will the fossils most likely experience?
they will be destroyed.
What role does the viscosity of the mantle play in the movement of tectonic plates?
The viscosity of the mantle affects the movement of tectonic plates by influencing the ease at which the plates can slide over or sink into the mantle. A higher viscosity makes it harder for plates to move, while a lower viscosity allows for more fluid-like movement, impacting the speed and direction of plate motion.
What is a rock plate that sinks back into the mantle called?
A rock plate that sinks back into the mantle is called a subducting plate. This process occurs at convergent plate boundaries where denser oceanic plates sink beneath lighter continental plates.
The balance between the weight of a continent and the buoyant force of mantle is?
isostasy
How do plates move where convection currents are sinking?
When convection currents sink near the mantle, they create drag on the lithospheric plates above. This drag causes the plates to move in the direction of the sinking current. As the plates move, they can interact with other plates, leading to processes like subduction or mountain formation.
What plates are the mantle responsible for?
The mantle does not drive plates, the ductility of the Asthenosphere does.
Why do convergent oceanic plates subduct but continental plates do not usually respond in this way?
Oceanic crust is denser than continental crust, dense enough to sink into the mantle. Continental crust is not dense enough to do this.
