Final answer:
The student's question refers to the sliding motion of tectonic plates at transform boundaries, where the plates slide sideways and material is neither created nor destroyed, contrasting with convergent boundaries where subduction can occur.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question pertains to plate tectonics, specifically the process where tectonic plates slide sideways past each other, a scenario where material is neither created nor destroyed, often referred to as a transform boundary.
This is different from the subduction process, where one tectonic plate moves underneath another and is forced into the mantle, a process that occurs at convergent boundaries and involves the destruction and creation of Earth's crust. The continental crust does not usually get subducted due to its thickness; it is the oceanic crust that is generally subducted into the mantle.
Lithospheric plates move very slowly, their rates comparable to the growth of human fingernails, and their interactions can form different plate boundaries, shaping much of the Earth's surface features. Plate tectonics also acts as the Earth's cooling system, facilitating the transfer of heat from the inner Earth to its surface and eventually to space. This is achieved through the movement of the tectonic plates, which is driven by the convection of material in the mantle.