How do slab pull and ridge push work together?

How do slab pull and ridge push work together?

“ridge push” The lithosphere thickens with distance (and time) away from the midocean ridge. “slab pull” As lithospheric plates move away from midocean ridges they cool and become denser. They eventually become more dense than the underlying hot mantle.

What does convection ridge push and slab pull?

In simple terms, convection is the idea that dense, cold things sink, and buoyant, warm things rise. slab pull: the force due to the weight of the cold, dense sinking tectonic plate. ridge push: the force due to the buoyancy of the hot mantle rising to the surface beneath the ridge.

What are the three forces that work together to cause plate motions?

The forces that drive Plate Tectonics include:

• Convection in the Mantle (heat driven)
• Ridge push (gravitational force at the spreading ridges)
• Slab pull (gravitational force in subduction zones)

What is slab pull in geology?

Slab Pull: The force exerted by the weight of the subducted slab on the plate it is attached to. Ridge Push: The pressure exerted by the excess height of the mid-ocean ridge.

How do convection currents work?

Convection currents form because a heated fluid expands, becoming less dense. As it rises, it pulls cooler fluid down to replace it. This fluid in turn is heated, rises and pulls down more cool fluid. This cycle establishes a circular current that stops only when heat is evenly distributed throughout the fluid.

What is slab pull and ridge pull?

‘Ridge Push’ and ‘Slab Pull’ are thought to be the major forces driving the motion of oceanic plates. Ridge push is caused by the potential energy gradient from the high topography of the ridges. Slab pull is caused by the negative buoyancy of the subducting plate.

How do slab pulls work?

Slab pull is the pulling force exerted by a cold, dense oceanic plate plunging into the mantle due to its own weight. The process of a tectonic plate descending into the mantle is termed subduction. Slab pull occurs when an oceanic plate subducts into the underlying mantle.

What are convection currents powered by?

Convection currents are the result of differential heating. Lighter (less dense), warm material rises while heavier (more dense) cool material sinks. It is this movement that creates circulation patterns known as convection currents in the atmosphere, in water, and in the mantle of Earth.

What is slab pull force?

Slab pull is that part of the motion of a tectonic plate caused by its subduction. Plate motion is partly driven by the weight of cold, dense plates sinking into the mantle at oceanic trenches. This force and slab suction account for almost all of the force driving plate tectonics.

What is convection current in tectonic plates?

Convection currents describe the rising, spread, and sinking of gas, liquid, or molten material caused by the application of heat. Tremendous heat and pressure within the earth cause the hot magma to flow in convection currents. These currents cause the movement of the tectonic plates that make up the earth’s crust.

What is the difference between Ridge pull and slab pull?