Final answer:
Mantle convection is the process that drives the movement of material in Earth's mantle, leading to the motion of tectonic plates and various geological features.
Step-by-step explanation:
The process responsible for the movement of material in the Earth's mantle is known as mantle convection. Mantle convection is the slow, churning motion that occurs as heat from the planet's interior is transferred to its surface. This heat transfer drives the motion of the tectonic plates located in the crust above.
As warmer, less dense material rises upwards, cooler, denser material sinks, creating a convection current that powers the movement of the plates. This process is comparable to the boiling of water for coffee, where the hot water rises to the surface, cools, and then sinks again, driving circulation. Furthermore, plate tectonics is the geological theory that describes how these convection currents within the mantle move large segments of Earth's crust, leading to geological phenomena such as continental drift and mountain formation.