Which theory states that Earth's lithosphere is broken into moving slabs driven by mantle motions?

Which theory states that Earth's lithosphere is broken into moving slabs driven by mantle motions?

• A. Theory of Plate Tectonics
• B. Theory of Continental Drift
• C. Theory of Mantle Convection
• D. Seafloor Spreading

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that the outermost shell of the Earth is made up of rigid pieces that actually move over the mantle due to circulating heat currents. Plate tectonics explains how the lithosphere is divided into distinct slabs, or plates, that float on the partially molten layer beneath them. These plates are moved by convection in the mantle, and their interactions at boundaries cause them to pull apart, collide, or slide past each other, leading to earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building. This theory best fits the description because it explicitly links the existence of moving lithospheric slabs to the driving motions in the mantle. Continental drift proposed that continents move but didn’t describe the moving plates or their mechanism. Mantle convection describes the process occurring inside the mantle but isn’t the name of the theory about moving lithospheric plates. Seafloor spreading explains how new ocean floor forms at mid-ocean ridges and supports plate tectonics, but it’s a part of the broader theory rather than the whole concept.

The main idea here is that the outermost shell of the Earth is made up of rigid pieces that actually move over the mantle due to circulating heat currents. Plate tectonics explains how the lithosphere is divided into distinct slabs, or plates, that float on the partially molten layer beneath them. These plates are moved by convection in the mantle, and their interactions at boundaries cause them to pull apart, collide, or slide past each other, leading to earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain building.

This theory best fits the description because it explicitly links the existence of moving lithospheric slabs to the driving motions in the mantle. Continental drift proposed that continents move but didn’t describe the moving plates or their mechanism. Mantle convection describes the process occurring inside the mantle but isn’t the name of the theory about moving lithospheric plates. Seafloor spreading explains how new ocean floor forms at mid-ocean ridges and supports plate tectonics, but it’s a part of the broader theory rather than the whole concept.