How do tectonic plates move across Earth's surface?
Quick Answer
Tectonic plates move a few centimeters per year because heat from Earth's interior drives slow convection in the mantle and helps push and pull the rigid lithosphere.
The Full Story
Earth's outer shell is broken into about a dozen major tectonic plates and many smaller ones. They move at rates commonly measured in centimeters per year, roughly the speed of human fingernail growth. The motion is driven by heat from inside Earth, which keeps the mantle slowly circulating, along with forces such as ridge push and slab pull. At mid-ocean ridges, new crust forms and spreads outward, while old crust can sink back into the mantle at subduction zones.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"The slow-motion engine that moves continents"
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