Why does lithospheric plates move

The East-African Rift, for instance, is the result of such a convection cell breaking up the African plate. Convection cells were responsible for the breaking up of supercontinents many times in Earth's history. Skip to main content. Climate Sea Levels Why will sea level rise not be the same everywhere? How can we date corals? Geology and Tectonics Geology How do we know the age of the seafloor?

Why is the seafloor so recent and the continental crust so old? Where do we find the oldest continental rocks and the oldest seafloor? What are the different types of rocks? What is a fossil and what are they used for? What are hydrothermal vents, and why do we find them along mid-ocean ridges? Seismology What is a seismic wave? What is the difference between body waves and surface waves, and between P-waves and S-waves?

Why can't S-waves travel through liquids? How far can seismic waves reach? Why do P-waves travel faster than S-waves? Why is the interior of the Earth hot? What is the magnetic field of the Earth? Earthquakes and Faults Why do tectonic plates move? Brief history of the plate tectonics theory Before colliding with Asia, where was India?

What is an earthquake? What is the highest magnitude an earthquake can reach? What are the biggest historical earthquakes? Together, these solid parts are known as the lithosphere. Above the lithosphere is the atmosphere , which is the air that surrounds the planet. Below the lithosphere is the asthenosphere. In the asthenosphere, heat from the core causes rocks to melt.

The melted rock in the asthenosphere moves like a thick, sticky liquid. Scientists have a name for the point where the lithosphere changes to the asthenosphere. It is called the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary LAB. There are two types of lithosphere.

Continental lithosphere is found on land, while oceanic lithosphere makes up the sea floor. The lithosphere is divided into huge slabs called tectonic plates. The heat from the mantle makes the rocks at the bottom of lithosphere slightly soft. This causes the plates to move. The movement of these plates is known as plate tectonics. Most tectonic activity takes place where these plates meet. They collide, tear apart, or slide against each other.

Tectonic activity is responsible for many natural events. These include earthquakes and volcanoes. Plate tectonics is what allows mountains and deep ocean trenches to form.

The hard rock of the lithosphere is just one influence on the Earth. Ice, liquid water, air and living things play an equal role in shaping the environment. For example, soil is created through a combination of environmental factors. Wind or rain can wear down rocks in the lithosphere. Then, plant and animal remains mix with these rocks to create fertile soil.

These five influences shape every environment on Earth. In mountain ranges, the lithosphere interacts with the thinner air and snow to create a cool or even icy climate zone.

Wind can wear rocks into sandy deserts. Healthy soil and rain make it easy for living things to grow in the forest.

Plants and animals have adapted over time to fit all of Earth's environments. All non-gas planets have lithospheres, but they are not all alike. The lithospheres of Mercury, Venus and Mars are much thicker and more rigid than Earth's lithosphere. An adaptation is passed from generation to generation. The Earth is the only place in the known universe that supports life.

Also called lithospheric plate. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing.

Caryl-Sue, National Geographic Society. For information on user permissions, please read our Terms of Service. How do we know the thicknesses of each layer in the earth? What is different about how the seismic waves generated by earthquakes travel through the inner What is convection and how is it related to the mantle? What is asthenosphere? What is the lithosphere? What is the crust and what is it mainly composed of? What are the major layers of the earth?

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