Question

One cause for plate motion is plate pull. which of the following best describes plate pull

A. When hot rock rises and cool rocks sink
B. When the lithosphere slides downhill due to gravity
C. When the oceanic lithosphere, which is more dense, sinks and pulls the plate with it
D. When a mountain range rises higher causing peaks to form

Answer 1

C. When the oceanic lithosphere, which is more dense, sinks and pulls the plate with it

Step-by-step explanation:

Slab pull and other mechanisms are responsible for the motion of plates. Every tectonic plate is driven by mantle convection.

• Convection is a form of heat transfer in fluids.
• It is as a result of differences in density and temperature values.
• The oceanic crust is denser and colder.
• As hot magma from deep within the subsurface rises and move through cracks, the oceanic lithosphere is drawn down and deeper.
• This cycling between the cold lithosphere and hot rising plumes provides the mechanism that drives plate motion.