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Convection currents in the mantle are what causes tectonic plates to move. Uneven heating of the mantle results from radioactive decay of some long-lived isotopes in the mantle, which are not evenly distributed.

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11y ago
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15y ago

The decrease in pressure as they rise lowers their melting temperature.

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12y ago

Probably convection currents

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Q: What in earths mantle causes tectonic plates to move?
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Related questions

What layer are the plates on?

The worlds tectonic plates slide on the earths mantle.


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 layer are the plates sliding on?

The worlds tectonic plates slide on the earths mantle.


What are tectonic plantes?

Tectonic plates are plates that float on the earths mantle. There are 8 major tectonic plates on the earth and at the joints of these many earthquakes seem to occur.


What causes volcanoes and earthquacks?

Volcanoes are caused by the rising of magma in the earths mantle and earthquakes are caused by the colliding of the earths tectonic plates against one another.


What drives the process of plate teconics?

Mantle convection causes the tectonic plates of the Earth to move slowly. Mantle convection is when heat moves from the mantle to the surface and causes the mantle, and the tectonic plates to move very slowly.


The driving forces to tectonic plates are related to convection currents in earths what?

mantle.


Where are tectonic plates located?

The entire crust (or outer layer) of the planet Earth is composed of plates, and the movements of those plates are described by the science of plate tectonics.


What is broken into tectonic plates?

The Earths upper layer which consists of the Crust and Upper Mantle makes up the Tectonic Plates. This layer is called the Lithosphere.


What is the term for the circular of material inside earths mantle?

QuestionThe term for the circular movement of material inside earth's mantle is convection current. This current causes the movement of the tectonic plates.


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 causes earths changes to earths landforms?

the tectonic platesthe tectonic plates can be move to be far and near to each other