why do tetonic plates move?

Answer 1

The earth's surface is broken into seven large and many small moving plates. These plates, each about 50 miles thick, move an average of a few inches a year. There are three types of movement between plates: convergent, divergent and transform-fault.

At convergent boundaries, plates move toward each other and collide. Where an oceanic plate collides with a continental plate, the oceanic plate tips down and slides beneath the continental plate forming a deep ocean trench (long, narrow, deep basin.) An example of this type of movement, called subduction, occurs at the boundary between the oceanic Nazca Plate and the continental South American Plate. Where continental plates collide, they form major mountain systems such as the Himalayas.

At divergent boundaries, plates move away from each other such as at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Where plates diverge, hot, molten rock rises and cools adding new material to the edges of the oceanic plates. This process is known as sea-floor spreading.

At transform-fault boundaries, plates move horizontally past each other. The San Andreas Fault zone is an example of this type of boundary where the Pacific Plate on which Los Angeles sits is moving slowly northwestward relative to the North American Plate on which San Francisco sits.

These links will explain more about plate tectonics.

Answer 2

Here are some main points on plate tectonics... If you have other questions, I will be happy to try to assist, I loved pangea when I was studying it in school, and thus also tectonics, the demolishment of the dinosaurs, and most other subjects and theories on why the earth is tthe way it is today
Plate tectonics is a relatively new theory that has revolutionized the way geologists think about the Earth. According to the theory, the surface of the Earth is broken into large plates. The size and position of these plates change over time. The edges of these plates, where they move against each other, are sites of intense geologic activity, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building. Plate tectonics is a combination of two earlier ideas, continental drift and sea-floor spreading. Continental drift is the movement of continents over the Earth's surface and in their change in position relative to each other. Sea-floor spreading is the creation of new oceanic crust at mid-ocean ridges and movement of the crust away from the mid-ocean ridges. The Earth is divided into three chemical layers: the core, the mantle and the crust. The core is composed of mostly iron and nickel and remains very hot, even after 4.5 billion years of cooling. The core is divided into two layers: a solid inner core and a liquid outer core. The middle layer of the Earth, the mantle, is made of minerals rich in the elements iron, magnesium, silicon, and oxygen. The crust is rich in the elements oxygen and silicon with lesser amounts of aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium. There are two types of crust. Basalt is the most common rock on Earth. Oceanic crust is made of relatively dense rock called basalt. Continental crust is made of lower density rocks, such as andesite and granite.

The outermost layers of the Earth can be divided by their physical properties into lithosphere and asthenosphere.
The lithosphere (from the Greek, lithos, stone) is the rigid outermost layer made of crust and uppermost mantle. The lithosphere is the "plate" of the plate tectonic theory. The asthenosphere (from the Greek, asthenos, devoid of force) is part of the mantle that flows, a characteristic called plastic behavior. It might seem strange that a solid material can flow. A good example of a solid that flows, or of plastic behavior, is the movement of toothpaste in a tube. The flow of the asthenosphere is part of mantle convection, which plays an important role in moving lithospheric plates.
Hess and Dietz succeeded where Wegener had failed. Continents are no longer thought to plow through oceanic crust but are considered to be part of plates that move on the soft, plastic asthenosphere. A driving force, convection currents, moved the plates. Technological advances and detailed studies of the ocean floor, both unavailable during Wegener's time, allowed Hess and Dietz to generate the new hypotheses

Answer 3

THey move cause the Mantle under the earths crust has a circulating motion u know how hot rises and cold sinks well thats whats happening under the crust. The magma cools once it reaches the crust then it sinks and once it heats up enough it will rise to the crust again and this crates a circular motion. That motion causes the plates to move very very slowly lol. The site below gives some light on what i am talking about.

Answer 4

Dawn is not very smart. The crust actually sits on a liquid like layer called the mantle. The crust itself also moves a little, due to activity beneath it. The bombs we blow up have nothing to do with plates moving. The different zones, like divergent, transform, and convergent boundaries allow new land to be formed, while other land in other places becomes part of the inner parts of earth again.

Answer 5

Due to the convection of heat under lithosphere it moves in both direction that is to wards another tectonic plate or away from the tectonic plate at the rate of 2 " to 6" per year. This rate of movement can be compared with the growth of your nail. That causes the accumulation of stress in tech tonic plates that slips suddenly when it is not able to withstand the pressure causing earthquakes.The small earthquakes are the welcome measure. Because the developed pressure will be released then and there. There may not be any major earthquake because of long accumulated pressure.

Answer 6

tectonic plate (tek′tän·ik ′plāt)

(geology) Any one of the internally rigid crustal blocks of the lithosphere which move horizontally across the earth's surface relative to one another. Also known as crustal plate.

A tectonic plate is a piece of the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle (together referred to as the lithosphere). The surface of the Earth consists of ten major tectonic plates and many more minor ones.

The plates are around 100 km (60 miles) thick and consist of two principal types of material: oceanic crust (also called sima from silicon and magnesium) and continental crust (sial from silicon and aluminium). Under both lies a relatively plastic, although non-molten, layer of the Earth's mantle called the asthenosphere.

The composition of the two types of crust differs markedly. Oceanic crust consists largely of basaltic rocks ("mafic"), while the continental crust consists principally of lower density granitic rocks rich in aluminium and silica ("felsic"). The two types of crust also differ in thickness, with continental crust considerably thicker than oceanic.

The churning of the asthenosphere carries the plates along in a process known as continental drift, which is explained by the theory of plate tectonics. Interaction between the plates creates mountains and volcanoes, as well as giving rise to earthquakes and other geological phenomena.

The boundaries of the plates do not coincide with those of the continents. For instance, the North American Plate covers not only North America, but also far eastern Siberia and northern Japan.

As far as is known, the Earth is the only planet in the Solar System to possess active plate tectonics, although there are suggestions that different styles of plate tectonics were in operation on Mars, Venus, and some of the Galilean satellites in the past.

Answer 7

The Earth's floor is made from a series of massive plates (like products of a widespread jigsaw puzzle). those plates are in consistent action travelling at some centimetres in line with 365 days. the sea flooring are always shifting, spreading from the centre and sinking on the perimeters. Convection currents under the plates bypass the plates in diverse instructions. The source of warm temperature driving the convection currents is radioactive decay it is taking position deep contained in the Earth. the perimeters of those plates, the position they bypass hostile to at least one yet another, are internet sites of severe geologic interest, which incorporates earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain construction. Plate tectonics is a really new idea and it wasn't till the 1960's that Geologists, with the help of ocean surveys, began to understand what is going on under our ft.

Answer 8

The plates ride on the Asthenosphere which is a zone where temperature and pressure make the very plastic (nearly fluid) allowing the plates to move on top of it. Although it is theoretical, most geologist believe that convectional currents probably provide the force to move the plates.

Answer 9

Tectonic plates are propelled by currents of what is basically magma in the upper mantle of the earth. Follow the link for more details.

Answer 10

They are carried along on top of convection currents in the mantle. The heat to drive the convection currents is generated by radioactivity in the metal core. As there is too much heat to escape by conduction, it has built up until it has softened the mantle enough so that it can convect and carry the extra heat away. It is all in perfect balance.