Q:
What is slab pull?
A:
Quick Answer
Slab pull is created by the motion of one tectonic plate as it moves beneath another. When two overlapping plates form a subduction fault, slab pull contributes to the movement of the lower plate as it descends into the mantle.
Continue ReadingFull Answer
The tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust are in constant motion. According to Columbia University, faults where subduction is occurring result in a force known as slab pull. This force is created as the plate begins to sink into the Earth's mantle and serves to pull the lower plate further away from the volcanic ridge where it is formed.
Learn more about Plate TectonicsSources:
Related Questions
-
Q:
What kind of stress occurs at a divergent plate boundary?
A: Divergent plate boundaries cause tensional stress. Tension is defined as stretching force, the kind of stress that results from pulling an object apart. Di... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
Where is the most active plate boundary?
A: The most active plate boundary is in the Pacific Ocean basin. Several tectonic plates collide in this area, which is known as the Ring of Fire due to the h... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
Where does subduction take place?
A: Subduction is a geological process that takes place at the boundaries between tectonic plates in which one plate is forced underneath another. Subduction o... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What argument was used to dispute the theory of plate tectonics?
A: Andrew Alden of About explains that Australian geologist Sam Carey's theory of Earth expansion, the idea that the continents fit together properly only on ... Full Answer >Filed Under:
You May Also Like
-
Q:
What type of boundary forms when two plates pull apart?
-
Q:
Why do earthquakes and volcanoes happen mostly in the same place?
-
Q:
What happens at plate boundaries?
-
Q:
What is the world's biggest fault line?
-
Q:
What are the three types of plate boundaries?
-
Q:
What kinds of plate boundaries are there?
