• Question: Why does the tectonic plate move

    Asked by shaanii to Paula, Katy on 18 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Paula Salgado

      Paula Salgado answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Well, Shaani, that question is perfect for Katy!

      From what I know, it moves because of the hot material underneath…

    • Photo: Katy Mee

      Katy Mee answered on 18 Jun 2010:

      Tectonic plates move because of convective currents that build up in the mantle. The Earth is made up of the crust (the solid rock part that we live on), the mantle and the core. Various processes, including decay of radioactive elements, cause a temperature gradient within the mantle e.g the top upper of the mantle may be cooler than the lower part. Since heat rise, it means that warmer materials from lower down in the mantle move upwards creating a circulation (convection). It is this movement that causes tectonic plates to move….

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