Why do tectonic plates on Earth’s surface move?(1 point) Responses The plates are surrounded by bodies of water that push the plates. The plates are surrounded by bodies of water that push the plates. The heat from Earth’s core moves molten rock beneath the plates. The heat from Earth’s core moves molten rock beneath the plates. The iron blocks in Earth’s core collide and move the plates. The iron blocks in Earth’s core collide and move the plates. The pressure from the ground pushes the plates apart.
The plates are surrounded by bodies of water that push the plates.
The correct response is: The heat from Earth's core moves molten rock beneath the plates.
The correct answer is: The heat from Earth’s core moves molten rock beneath the plates.
Tectonic plates on Earth's surface move due to the movement of molten rock beneath the plates, which is driven by the heat from Earth's core. This heat causes convection currents in the semi-fluid layer of the mantle, which is just beneath the crust and on top of the core. These convection currents cause the movement of the molten rock, which in turn drags the tectonic plates along with it. As the molten rock rises, it pushes against the bottom of the plates, causing them to move apart at divergent boundaries. At convergent boundaries, where the plates collide, the molten rock is forced downward, creating subduction zones. The movement of the plates at these boundaries is facilitated by the movement of the underlying molten rock. So, in summary, it is the heat from Earth's core that drives the movement of molten rock, and subsequently, the movement of tectonic plates on Earth's surface.