Question

The motion of Earth's tectonic plates is caused by?

1) a combination of mantle convection, wedging of rising mantle rock and magma between diverging plates, gravitational pull in subduction zones, and sliding along the sloping surface of the asthenosphere
2) since the end of the Paleozoic era
3) unrelated to the heat energy within the Earth
4) the liquid nature of the Earth's outer core
5) at rates of no more than a few inches per million years

Answer 1

The motion of Earth's tectonic plates is caused by 1) a combination of mantle convection, wedging of rising mantle rock and magma between diverging plates, gravitational pull in subduction zones, and sliding along the sloping surface of the asthenosphere

Step-by-step explanation:

The motion of Earth's tectonic plates is caused by a combination of factors. First, there is mantle convection, which is the slow movement of the mantle material due to the upwelling of warmer material and the sinking of cooler material. This convection creates a force that pushes the plates. Second, there is wedging of rising mantle rock and magma between diverging plates.

When plates move apart, the space between them is filled with magma, which further pushes the plates apart. Third, in subduction zones, where one plate is forced beneath another, there is a gravitational pull that contributes to plate motion. Finally, sliding along the sloping surface of the asthenosphere, which is the upper part of the mantle, also plays a role in plate movement. Therefore the correct answer is 1) a combination of mantle convection, wedging of rising mantle rock and magma between diverging plates, gravitational pull in subduction zones, and sliding along the sloping surface of the asthenosphere