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Heat from the interior of the Earth, creating convection currents in the layer of the Earth known as the asthenosphere, where the rock is solid yet plastic, and has ductile characteristics. The current of heat causes the movement of the hard crustal lithospheric plates above.

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Importantly, the above theory was discredited. While it seems to explain the motion of plates, it was eventually proven insufficient to adequately explain plate motion but was an important step forward.

A simple version: The main two forces are ridge-push force (where the raised ridges are essentially pushing the rest of the plates away from it due to gravity) and slab-pull force (where one plate sinks at a convergent boundary and drags the rest with it).

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What is the thermal convection that drives plate motion is caused by what?

The thermal convection that drives plate motion is caused by the movement of molten rock in the mantle. Heat from Earth's core causes the mantle to circulate in a convection current, which in turn drags the overlying tectonic plates along with it, driving plate motion.


What is the thermal convection that drives plate motion caused by?

Thermal convection that drives plate motion is caused by the movement of heat within the Earth's mantle. As the Earth's interior heat is transferred towards the surface, it generates convective currents in the mantle, leading to the movement of tectonic plates. This process is known as mantle convection and is a key driver of plate tectonics.


It takes 100 000years for a plate to move about 14 kilometers calculate the rate if plate motion?

To calculate the rate of plate motion, divide the distance traveled by the time it took to travel that distance. In this case, the rate of plate motion is 14 kilometers divided by 100,000 years, which equals 0.00014 kilometers per year.


What drives plate motion?

Plate motion is primarily driven by convection currents in the Earth's mantle. Heat from the core drives these currents, causing magma to rise and cool near the surface, creating a continuous cycle of movement that pushes and pulls the tectonic plates. Other factors, such as gravitational forces and the sinking of cold, dense lithosphere at subduction zones, also contribute to plate motion.


How much the continents are drifting each year?

The continents drift at a rate of about 2 to 5 centimeters per year due to plate tectonics. This movement is caused by the slow motion of Earth's tectonic plates.

Related Questions

What is the thermal convection that drives plate motion is caused by what?

The thermal convection that drives plate motion is caused by the movement of molten rock in the mantle. Heat from Earth's core causes the mantle to circulate in a convection current, which in turn drags the overlying tectonic plates along with it, driving plate motion.


What type of plate motion crates a reverse fault?

The answer is by convergent plate motion.


What is the thermal convection that drives plate motion caused by?

Thermal convection that drives plate motion is caused by the movement of heat within the Earth's mantle. As the Earth's interior heat is transferred towards the surface, it generates convective currents in the mantle, leading to the movement of tectonic plates. This process is known as mantle convection and is a key driver of plate tectonics.


What force caused the movement of the continents from one supercontinent to their present positions?

the movement of convection currents in the mantle is the cause of plate motion.


Plate motion is caused partly by magnetic reversals convection currents continental drift or volacnic hot spots?

Convection currents


What force caused the movement of the continents from one supercontinent to their present positive?

the movement of convection currents in the mantle is the cause of plate motion.


What force caused the movement of the continents from one supercontinent to their presents positions?

the movement of convection currents in the mantle is the cause of plate motion.


Why is plate tectonics a suitable name for the study of plate motion. Explain?

It is a suitable name because tectonics comes from the Greek word tekton which means builder, and plate tectonics refers to the building of the features on Earth's surface due to deformation caused by plate movements...


Describe the three types of plate motion and the faults that are characteristic of each type of motion?

Describe the three types of plate motion and the faults that are characteristic of each type of motion.


What is plate motions?

Motion of plates


What is caused ny motin?

what is caused by motion


What is a swash plate pump?

A swash plate is a way of going from rotary motion to linear motion without using a crankshaft. A swash plate pump is a piston pump that uses a swash plate instead of a crankshaft.