Earth's changing surface :
Why do tectonic plates on Earth’s surface move?(1 point)
The pressure from the ground pushes the plates apart.
The iron blocks in Earth’s core collide and move the plates.
The heat from Earth’s core moves molten rock beneath the plates.
The plates are surrounded by bodies of water that push the plates.
The correct answer is:
The heat from Earth’s core moves molten rock beneath the plates.
Tectonic plates are massive slabs of solid rock that make up the Earth's surface. These plates float on the semi-fluid layer of the Earth's upper mantle, which is called the asthenosphere. Below the asthenosphere lies the solid inner core and the liquid outer core. The heat generated from the radioactive decay of elements and residual heat from the formation of the Earth causes convection currents in the mantle. These convection currents create movement in the molten rock beneath the plates.
These thermal convection currents cause the asthenosphere to move, which in turn drags and moves the tectonic plates on the Earth's surface. The plates can move apart, collide, or slide past one another along plate boundaries, creating various geological phenomena like earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the formation of mountain ranges.
Therefore, it's the movement of the molten rock beneath the plates due to the heat from the Earth's core that causes tectonic plate movement on the Earth's surface.