300
What are the three forces are the play a role in the movement of plates on Earth? Include a brief explanation of how each of these forces work.
What is
1. Mantle convection
- As things heat up they expand and become less dense and more buoyant so they rise.
- Once at the surface, they cool and are pushed in opposite directions on the surface before they become more dense and sink back down.
2. Gravity / Slab Push
- When two plates diverge, magma rises through the crust and comes up to the surface.
- As it cools, it slides back down the thermal mountains
3. Subduction / Slab Pull
- When two plates converge, one (the older, more dense one) is pulled under the other and experiences subduction.
- This is due to lithospheric thickening.