The Lithosphere and Tectonic Plates

• As mentioned previously, the lithosphere incorporates the upper mantle and crust.

• The lithosphere is composed of several large fragments called tectonic plates.

• These plates are able to move independently, albeit very slowly, due to being dragged by convection currents in the asthenosphere.

• The movement of tectonic plates causes geological events such as earthquakes and volcanoes as plates collide, move apart or slide past each other.

• It also results in continental drift – the gradual movement of continents over very long periods of time.

The lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates which move independently due to convection currents in the asthenosphere.

(Image: M.Bitton, Wikimedia Commons)