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Lesson 4 - Possible Causes of Plate Movements

The document discusses the driving and resisting forces that cause plate tectonic movement. The main driving forces are mantle convection, ridge push from upwelling mantle, and slab pull as plates are pulled into the mantle. Resisting forces include slab resistance as subducting plates push back, collisional resistance at plate boundaries, transform fault resistance from friction, and drag force from the mantle. Convection currents in the mantle provide the main driving force for plate tectonics.

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Arnel Jeffrey Oñate
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1K views17 pages

Lesson 4 - Possible Causes of Plate Movements

The document discusses the driving and resisting forces that cause plate tectonic movement. The main driving forces are mantle convection, ridge push from upwelling mantle, and slab pull as plates are pulled into the mantle. Resisting forces include slab resistance as subducting plates push back, collisional resistance at plate boundaries, transform fault resistance from friction, and drag force from the mantle. Convection currents in the mantle provide the main driving force for plate tectonics.

Uploaded by

Arnel Jeffrey Oñate
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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MECHANISMSof

PLATE MOVEMENTS
4
LESSO
N
LESSON
OBJECTIVES:
At the end of the lesson, students should be able to;

1. Enumerate the driving and resisting forces of plate movements


2. Describe the possible causes of plate movements based on their
motions
3. Realize the importance of the creation of convection current
underneath the Earth
EARTH’S SURFACE

The different surface features of the Earth resulted from different tectonic activities
caused by the movement of the plates. Majority of research findings, plates are moving at
an average rate of 0.60cm/year to 10 cm/year.
EARTH’S SURFACE

How huge crustal plates could possibly move is influenced by two types of forces: Driving
Forces and Resisting Forces.
DRIVING
FORCES
Driving forces either push tectonic plates toward each other or pull them apart.

 Mantle Convection
 Slab Pull
 Slab Suction
 Ridge Push
MANTLE
CONVECTION
Heat energy dissipates in a circular motion
because of the difference in temperature
between the mantle and the layer above it.

Heat in the core of the Earth is


transferred to the surface of the
Earth by the mantle. Convection
currents drive the plates away from
each other.
MANTLE
CONVECTION Heat energy dissipates in a circular motion
because of the difference in temperature
between the mantle and the layer above it.

Liquid rock below the mantle is


heated and rises toward the crust.
The rock near the surface is cooler
and sinks back down toward the
core. This forms the same type of
convection current which causes the
plates to move.
RIDGE
PUSH
Gravity pushes the plate down
the ridge and a new crust is
formed.

This happens when the lithosphere is


pushed up by the asthenosphere
because of convection currents from
the mantle.
RIDGE
PUSH Because these plates are higher at the
spreading center, they are forced downhill
due to gravity and eventually flatten out to
the ocean floor.

The mantle wells upward because of


the convection and elevates the edges
of spreading oceanic plates.
SLAB PULL
The rest of the plate to which the slab is
attached is being pulled as well.

This takes place when a subducting


slab sinks into the hot mantle because
of a difference in temperature.
SLAB PULL
Gravity again works to pull it along,
giving the plates another force to keep it
going.

As the plate is pushed along, it runs


into another plate. Oceanic crust is
easily forced under another plate and
back into the mantle.
SLAB/TRENCH
SUCTION Underneath and behind the plate, a small convection
current caused by the diving crust can form and help pull
the plate into the Earth. This force aids in pulling the
plate back to the Earth to melt again.

It occurs between two colliding plates,


one of which is subducting underneath the
other plate, whereby convection currents
in the upper mantle suck both plates
down.
RESISTING
FORCES
Resisting forces act against the driving forces of plate tectonics.

 Slab Resistance
 Collisional Resistance
 Transform Fault Resistance
 Drag Force
SLAB/SHEAR
RESISTANCE The subducting plate exerts force directly
onto the over-riding more buoyant plate
which acts to oppose the forces driving the
subduction.

When plates collide at a plate


boundary in a subduction zone, the
force will resist movement.
COLLISIONAL
RESISTANCE This force directly opposes the slab pull
force. It occurs as the heavy basaltic plate
is pulled down into the mantle.

Occurs where a heavy plate is pulled


into the mantle but resists
subduction because of friction. This
force opposes the slab pull.
TRANSFORM FAULT
RESISTANCE
Since the movement is opposite, the plates
encounter frictional resistance in the
contact zones.

Sometimes, the spreading center


along the ridge is broken by
several kilometers.
DRAG
FORCE The basal drag force still acts to resist
plate motion at the interface between the
lithosphere and upper mantle.

The drag force operates on almost


all parts of a moving lithospheric
plate. This resists the movement
of lithospheric plates.

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