Explained in plain English
Why do plates move?
Tectonic plates move because of heat from deep inside the Earth. This heat creates convection currents in the molten rock beneath the plates, slowly dragging them along. It's like a giant, slow-motion conveyor belt, causing the plates to collide, separate, or slide past each other, which is ultimately what causes earthquakes like the one in Colombia.
Stories that explain this
Colombia earthquake kills 20 people, collapses buildings on MondayQuestions this opens up
What are convection currents? How fast do plates move? What is plate tectonics?This explainer came from a news story
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