Continental Drift

Question 1 • Earth and Space A 26-27

Which statement explains how convection currents affect the movement of plates?

Answer

Gravity pulls one edge of a plate down into the mantle, which causes the rest of the plate to move as well.

Heat from Earth’s interior causes lithospheric plates to collide at convergent plate boundaries, causing volcanoes.

Heat from Earth’s interior causes currents of hot rising magma and cooler sinking magma to flow, moving the crust along with them.

As convection currents drift across the oceans, they bring the pieces of Earth’s crust with them as the supercontinent breaks apart.

Explanation

Convection happens as hot mantle material rises and cooler material sinks, creating a circulating flow. The lithospheric plates move along with this flow of mantle material. Choice C correctly describes hot rising and cooler sinking magma moving the crust; the other choices either describe only one plate-motion process or incorrectly place the currents in the oceans.

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Assignment

22 verified answers

Lab: Plate Boundaries and Movement

Relative Dating

Continental Drift