Along convergent boundaries, the process of subduction, or one Tectonic plate moving under another, carries the edge of the lower one down into the mantle; the area of material lost is balanced by the formation of new crust along divergent margins by seafloor spreading.
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The current view, though still a matter of some debate, asserts that as a consequence, a powerful source generating Tectonic plate motion is the excess density of the oceanic lithosphere sinking in subduction zones.
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The sources of Tectonic plate motion are a matter of intensive research and discussion among scientists.
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Much of the last quarter century, the leading theory of the driving force behind tectonic plate motions envisaged large scale convection currents in the upper mantle, which can be transmitted through the asthenosphere.
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How mantle convection directly and indirectly relates to Tectonic plate motion is a matter of ongoing study and discussion in geodynamics.
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Recent research, based on three-dimensional computer modeling, suggests that Tectonic plate geometry is governed by a feedback between mantle convection patterns and the strength of the lithosphere.
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Tectonic plate concluded that tidal forces caused by Earth's rotation and the forces acting upon it by the Moon are a driving force for plate tectonics.
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One method of dealing with this problem is to consider the relative rate at which each Tectonic plate is moving as well as the evidence related to the significance of each process to the overall driving force on the Tectonic plate.
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The driving forces of Tectonic plate motion continue to be active subjects of on-going research within geophysics and tectonophysics.
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Concepts close to the elements now incorporated in plate tectonics were proposed by geophysicists and geologists like Vening-Meinesz, Holmes, and Umbgrove.
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The theory of plate tectonics was defined in a series of papers between 1965 and 1967.
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Reconstruction is used to establish past Tectonic plate configurations, helping determine the shape and make-up of ancient supercontinents and providing a basis for paleogeography.
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One explanation for Venus's lack of plate tectonics is that on Venus temperatures are too high for significant water to be present.
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On Earth-sized planets, plate tectonics is more likely if there are oceans of water.
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Consideration of plate tectonics is a part of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence and extraterrestrial life.
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