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New crust is formed on the opposite end of the plate as it is pulled away from its neighbor

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What forces drive the process in subduction zones dense pieces of oceanic crust are pulled downward toward the mantle?

The main driving force in subduction zones is the gravitational pull on the dense oceanic crust as it subducts beneath less dense continental crust or another oceanic plate. This process is further facilitated by the negative buoyancy of the cold, dense oceanic lithosphere compared to the underlying mantle. Additionally, the sinking of the oceanic crust is also driven by the forces exerted by the movement of the tectonic plates at the surface.


What is the result of dense pieces of oceanic crust being pulled down to the mantle?

The dense oceanic crust undergoes subduction when it is forced beneath the less dense continental crust. As it descends into the mantle, the oceanic crust melts and forms magma, which can lead to volcanic activity and the creation of volcanic island arcs or deep-sea trenches.


What is the ocean of molten rock on which the continents float called?

The ocean of molten rock beneath Earth's crust is called the mantle. The movement of the molten rock in the mantle is responsible for driving the motion of tectonic plates, which are like giant puzzle pieces that make up Earth's surface.


What do you call pieces of earth's crust that are floating on the mantle?

Pieces of Earth's crust that are floating on the mantle are known as tectonic plates. These plates are rigid sections of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with each other, leading to phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic activity.


What are the different pieces of the Earth's crust called?

Along with their attached rigid uppermost mantle, they are referred to as tectonic plates.

Related Questions

What force drives the process of pulling dense pieces of oceanic crust downward towards the mantle?

The force driving the process of pulling dense pieces of oceanic crust downward towards the mantle is gravity. As oceanic crust cools and becomes denser, it sinks into the mantle due to gravitational forces. This process is known as subduction.


What forces drive the process in subduction zones dense pieces of oceanic crust are pulled downward toward the mantle?

The main driving force in subduction zones is the gravitational pull on the dense oceanic crust as it subducts beneath less dense continental crust or another oceanic plate. This process is further facilitated by the negative buoyancy of the cold, dense oceanic lithosphere compared to the underlying mantle. Additionally, the sinking of the oceanic crust is also driven by the forces exerted by the movement of the tectonic plates at the surface.


What is the result of dense pieces of oceanic crust being pulled down to the mantle?

The dense oceanic crust undergoes subduction when it is forced beneath the less dense continental crust. As it descends into the mantle, the oceanic crust melts and forms magma, which can lead to volcanic activity and the creation of volcanic island arcs or deep-sea trenches.


Pieces that move on plastic like layer of the mantle?

crust


Why is oceanic lithosphere subducted while continental lithosphere is not?

The density of the continental (granitic) lithosphere is lower than oceanic (basaltic) lithosphere. Consequently, due to buoyancy, the continental crust rides above the oceanic lithosphere and thus is not subducted. However, it is thought that pieces of the continental lithosphere break off and are subducted along with the oceanic lithosphere.


What are pieces of the lithosphere move slowly over this layer of the mantle?

asthenosphere


What do oceanic ridge systems represent?

At the mid-ocean ridges, new ocean floor is continuously being created from rising magma originating from the Earth's mantle. The creation of the new oceanic crust pushes older crust away from the ridge in a conveyor belt fashion. This process is known as sea-floor spreading. The fracture can be seen beneath the ocean as a line of ridges that form as molten rock reaches the ocean bottom and solidifies. A narrow depressed area running along the center of the ridges, called a rift, is the region where volcanic activity is adding magma to the two diverging pieces of oceanic crust.


The crust and upper mantle are called the?

The crust and the upper mantle are a geological part of the earth called the lithosphere. There are 2 parts of the lithosphere: the oceanic lithosphere, which is made up of land underneath water, and the continental lithosphere, which is the the part made of just land. The lithosphere lies on top of the asthenosphere. The lithosphere is made up of tectonic plates, which are pieces of land floating on the lithosphere.


What is the ocean of molten rock on which the continents float called?

The ocean of molten rock beneath Earth's crust is called the mantle. The movement of the molten rock in the mantle is responsible for driving the motion of tectonic plates, which are like giant puzzle pieces that make up Earth's surface.


What are bootable devices?

Bootable devices are pieces of hardware that the BIOS can load an operating system or special program off of. These can be floppy drives, CD drives, hard drives, USB flash drives, tape drives, SD cards, and certain ROM chips.


What are plates composed of?

A section of the lithosphere that slowly moves over the asthenosphere, carrying pieces of the continental and oceanic crust. A plate is part of dinnerware that is flat as opposed to round like a bowl.


Pieces of lithosphere move slowly over this soft layer of the mantle?

Pieces of lithosphere move slowly over the asthenosphere, which is a soft layer of the mantle. The asthenosphere is ductile and can flow, allowing for the movement of tectonic plates over time. This movement is responsible for phenomena like plate tectonics and continental drift.