Final answer:
The theory of plate tectonics combines the concepts of continental drift and seafloor spreading. These concepts explain the movement and interaction of Earth's tectonic plates, causing geological phenomena and affecting the planet's heat transfer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Theory of Plate Tectonics
The theory of plate tectonics combines two key concepts: continental drift and seafloor spreading. Continental drift is the hypothesis that continents move across the Earth’s surface, initially proposed by Alfred Wegener, while seafloor spreading is the process identified by Harry Hess where new oceanic crust is formed at mid-ocean ridges and pushes older crust outwards. These concepts help explain the distribution of geological features such as mountains, volcanoes, and trenches, and they are fundamental to understanding Earth's geological history, including the formations of continents and oceans.
The mechanism behind plate tectonics is the slow motion within Earth's mantle, which moves the tectonic plates comprising the lithosphere. This movement also serves as an efficient heat transfer system, allowing the Earth to cool. As these plates move, they can diverge, converge, or slide past one another, resulting in various geological processes and features at different types of plate boundaries.