What Moves Tectonic Plates Apart?

Core

• At the center of the Earth is a radioactive core of molten iron. The energy produced in the core makes the majority of the substances underneath the surface molten metal and rock and causes the plates to move.

Mantle

• The mantle is the layer of the Earth between the molten iron core and the surface. The top layer of the mantle is called the asthenosphere. This area is made up of molten rock and flows because of the high pressures and temperatures from underneath. It is this layer underneath the plates which allows them to move.

Tectonics

• What actually causes the tectonic plates to move is not the flow of the mantle, but the convection currents caused by the heat and pressure. Convection can be observed in an oven, where the hot air rises and makes the top shelf much hotter than the bottom. This causes currents, like those in the ocean, to stir the mantle and move the plates.

Continental Drift

• At the start of the Earth, it is believed all landmasses were connected together in one large lump. As the plates started to move and break apart, the continents were formed. The continents are still moving because of these forces, although the movement is extremely slow.

Natural Disasters

• The movement of the tectonic plates leads to both earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. When two plates collide, shockwaves are sent up to the surface, causing an earthquake. If this happens regularly, a fault can appear, such as the San Andreas Fault in California, because of the plates pressing against each other. Gaps between the plates allow magma to escape and erupt as lava from volcanoes.