Question

Lee watched a pot of water boil. The boiling water reminded him of the convection currents he had learned about while he studied plate tectonics. How do these currents drive the motion of Earth's plates? *

A) A: By causing earthquakes
B) B: By creating volcanoes
C) C: By pushing the plates apart
D) D: By moving the plates on the Earth's surface

Answer 1

Convection currents in the Earth's mantle are the driving force behind the movement of tectonic plates on the surface, similar to the cycling of water in a boiling pot, which corresponds to the theory of plate tectonics and results in geological activity such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Convection currents within the Earth's mantle are responsible for the movement of the tectonic plates on Earth's surface. As hot material from the mantle rises and cool material sinks, a circulating flow is created. This slow but dynamic process acts similarly to the convection observed in a pot of boiling water, where the water cycles due to differences in temperature and density. Plate tectonics describes this movement and interaction of the plates that causes various geological phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, continental drift, and mountain building. When considering the options provided, the correct answer to how these currents drive the motion of Earth's plates is D) By moving the plates on the Earth's surface.