The movement of tectonic plates is driven by which of the following?

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Reframing the question: What mechanism powers the movement of Earth's tectonic plates? The options offer distinct physical processes, each with different roles in geophysics.
Option 1: Convection currents. This is the correct mechanism in plate tectonics. In the mantle, heat from the core and gradual cooling of the mantle create hot, buoyant material that rises, cools, becomes denser, and sinks again. This churning motion sets up slow, large-scale circulation (convection) that drags and moves the overlying lithospheric plates at plate boundaries and within plate interiors.
Option 2: Radiation cooling. Radiative heat loss is a general energy transfer process, but it is not the driver of mantle flow in the context of plate tectonics. The mantle’s convection arises from heat transfer by temperature- and density-driven buoyancy, not primarily from radiation cooling acting as the motor for large-scale plate movement.
Option 3: Conduction. Conduction is the transfer of heat through a material without bulk movement. While conduction occurs in the mantle and lithosphere, it is not the mechanism that generates the large-scale, circular flows required to move tectonic plates. The plates move because the mantle material itself convects, driven by heating and cooling, which conduction cannot produce on its own.
Option 4: Surface atmospheric winds. Winds operate in the atmosphere and act on the surface of the Earth, not within the mantle where plate tectonics originates. They do not drive the deep, mantle-based flow that moves lithospheric plates, so this option misattributes the scale and location of the driving force.
In summary, the movement of tectonic plates is ultimately driven by mantle convection currents, which arise from buoyancy forces due to temperature differences inside the Earth. The other options describe heat transfer or processes that operate at different scales or locations and do not provide the mechanism for plate tectonics.

The movement of tectonic plates is driven by which of the following?

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The movement of tectonic plates is driven by which of the following?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

How would you describe the motion of the North American plate relative along the San Andreas fault, relative to the Pacific plate?

Subduction zones ____.​

What event split Baja from mainland Mexico to form the Gulf of California? Select the one best answer.

Place the following events in the geologic history of California in chronological order, with 1 being oldest and 5 youngest. 1: intrusion of 90% of the Sierran Batholith 2: formation of a passive margin 3: development of an Andean-type margin 4: terrane accretion 5: erosion to expose the batholith

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Question at position 37 Which one statement below is not correct?Temperature and pressure both increase with increasing depth.One source of Earth’s internal heat is the decay of radioactive elements.Convection in the outer core is responsible for plate tectonics.Clear my selection

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