Final answer:
Mantle Convection, Ridge-Push, and Slab-Pull are mechanisms driving the movement of tectonic plates. Mantle Convection is triggered by heat transfer in the Earth's mantle, Ridge-Push occurs through the spreading at oceanic ridges, and Slab-Pull happens when a plate edge submerges into the mantle, pulling the rest of the plate. These processes differ in their underlying triggers and subsequent impacts on plate movement.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question refers to different plate-driving mechanisms: Mantle Convection, Ridge-Push, and Slab-Pull. These processes cause the tectonic plates of the Earth's crust to move and interact, shaping our planet's geological features over time.
Mantle Convection refers to the slow heat transfer within the Earth's mantle where thermal energy from the hot core causes the warmer material to rise and cooler material to sink, thus creating convection currents. This convective motion acts as a driving force, leading to the lateral movement of tectonic plates.
Ridge-Push is a mechanism that involves the seafloor spreading at oceanic ridges. It's where newly formed material at the mid-ocean ridges creates a force that pushes the tectonic plates apart from each other.
Slab-Pull involves a tectonic plate being pulled as its edge submerges or 'subducts' into the mantle. This sinking edge pulls the rest of the plate along with it.
These three processes differ in their origins and impacts. While mantle convection results from heat transfer, ridge push and slab pull are a result of tectonic activity along the boundaries of the plates.
Learn more about Plate Tectonics