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Convection currents in the mantle and core make tectonic plates move. The continental crust of the Earth is thicker and lighter than the oceanic crust.

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What is the convection current hypothesis?

The convection current hypothesis supposes that convection currents in the Earth's Mantel (the zone below the surface/crust and above the Earth's core) cause the movement of the tectonic plates (plates that make up the surface/crust of the Earth and shift/move on a grand time scale).


What is the layer of the earth convection the currents in this layer make the plates move?

The layer of the Earth where convection currents occur is the mantle. These currents are generated by the heat from the Earth's core, causing movement in the semi-fluid mantle material. The movement of these convection currents is one of the driving forces behind the movement of tectonic plates on the Earth's surface.


What is the cause of the currents that make plates move across the earth?

The currents that drive plate movement are caused by the heat generated from the Earth's core. This heat creates convection currents in the mantle, which in turn move the tectonic plates on the Earth's surface.


What do the crust and upper layer of the mantle make up?

The crust and the hard uppermost mantle make up the lithosphere, which is the solid, rocky layer covering the entire surface of the planet and reacts to stresses as a brittle solid. The lithosphere ranges in thickness from 50 - 200 kmA and is fragmented into tectonic plates with boundaries where plates collide, diverge, or grind past each other.A Wilson, M. (2000) Igneous Petrogenesis - A Global Tectonic Approach, Chapman and Hall, London.


What moves the crust?

Convection currents.

Related Questions

What moves the seafloor and the continents?

The movement of the Earth's tectonic plates, which make up the outer shell of the Earth, is responsible for moving the seafloor and continents. This movement is driven by processes such as mantle convection, where heat from the Earth's core causes the semi-fluid rock in the mantle to flow and create forces that push or pull the tectonic plates.


How they make a volcanic?

Volcanos are formed by tectonic plates pulling apart exposing the magma in the earth's mantle.


How does the upper mantle affect the lithosphere?

The upper mantle is a part of the Earth's mantle that is located just below the lithosphere. It plays a key role in the movement of tectonic plates that make up the lithosphere. Convection currents in the upper mantle drive the movement of tectonic plates, leading to processes such as plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanic activity.


What is the convection current hypothesis?

The convection current hypothesis supposes that convection currents in the Earth's Mantel (the zone below the surface/crust and above the Earth's core) cause the movement of the tectonic plates (plates that make up the surface/crust of the Earth and shift/move on a grand time scale).


Tectonic plates can include?

Oceanic plates, continental plates, and microplates are all examples of tectonic plates that make up the Earth's lithosphere. These plates move around due to the heat-driven convection currents in the Earth's mantle, causing phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain-building.


What caused pangaea's plates to move?

The movement of the plates that formed Pangaea was primarily driven by the process of plate tectonics. The heat generated from the Earth's core creates convection currents in the mantle, which in turn move the plates that make up the Earth's outer shell. This movement led to the breakup of Pangaea and the shifting of the continents to their current positions.


What is the layer of the earth convection the currents in this layer make the plates move?

The layer of the Earth where convection currents occur is the mantle. These currents are generated by the heat from the Earth's core, causing movement in the semi-fluid mantle material. The movement of these convection currents is one of the driving forces behind the movement of tectonic plates on the Earth's surface.


What is the cause of the currents that make plates move across the earth?

The currents that drive plate movement are caused by the heat generated from the Earth's core. This heat creates convection currents in the mantle, which in turn move the tectonic plates on the Earth's surface.


What are the plates called that make earthquakes?

Tectonic plates


Pieces of the lithosphere?

The lithosphere is composed of the Earth's crust and the upper part of the mantle. It is divided into large pieces called tectonic plates that make up the Earth's surface. These plates move and interact with each other, leading to phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation.


Does magnetism make the tectonic plates move?

No(see the explanation of the question "Why do the tectonic plates move?"


What do the crust and upper layer of the mantle make up?

The crust and the hard uppermost mantle make up the lithosphere, which is the solid, rocky layer covering the entire surface of the planet and reacts to stresses as a brittle solid. The lithosphere ranges in thickness from 50 - 200 kmA and is fragmented into tectonic plates with boundaries where plates collide, diverge, or grind past each other.A Wilson, M. (2000) Igneous Petrogenesis - A Global Tectonic Approach, Chapman and Hall, London.