What causes earth's continental plates to move?

Answer 1

They float on magma and move

Answer 2

What causes earths continental plates to move is magma coming up through the edges of plates and other edges sinking under. Also, the plates move at the rate that your nails grow.

Answer 3

I'm not sure what makes them move, but I know for a fact that they don't float on magma or lava. That was teh first theory-- (continental drift), but Wegner (vegner is how it's pronounced) who thought up continental drift couldn't figure out /why/ the continents were drifting. The currently accepted theory (according to my science teacher) is called Plate tectonics. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but it has to do with the plates on the earth (not like dinner plates) shifting.

Answer 4

Molten magma from the Earth's core rises (heat rises) - this is called a convection current. Because the magma is moving it moves the Earth's crust (tectonic plates). These are relatively thin, a little like the skin of an orange, with the fruit being the magma.

Answer 5

The plates are moving at a speed that has been estimated at 1 to 10 cm per year. Most of the Earth's seismic activity (volcanoes and earthquakes) occurs at the plate boundaries as they interact.

Answer 6

new plates are forming underneath them and when they come up cause the older plates to move farther and farther away from each other resulting in continental movement

Answer 7

the continental plates are floating on earths core witch is filled with magma, its like paper floating on water

Answer 8

the earths core is molten (melted) very hot. heat rises, as it rises it reaches the surface and cools then solidifies. This newer surface area pushes against the old.

Answer 9

Growing pains

Answer 10

both of the plates push againest eachother so hard that it slips and causes an earthquake