Which Of The Following Changes The Solid Earth The Most?

Which of the following changes the solid Earth the most?

 

Good Day

Question:

Which of the following changes the solid Earth the most?

Note: No choices given

Answer:

Rock Cycle, Convection current of the mantle, plate tectonics

There are a lot of factors to consider that  changes in solid earth. We consider the heat in the inner core due to radioactive decay of uranium which causes convection current in the mantle. Convection current in the mantle is the primary reason why the lithosphere (rock layer) is divided into several segments called lithospheric plates which moves in a certain direction. Some plate collide between each other (convergent boundary), others slide past each other (transform fault boundaries), and they also move away from each other (divergent boundary). Because of these movements of the plates, several geological feature are formed on the surface of the earth, like formation of volcanoes, continental drifting, different land formation like mountain ranges, rift valley etc.

Rock Cycle:

As the volcanoes erupt, magma was released and cools down to form new rocks. New rock due to weathering will be broken down into pieces and transported to the ocean floor. Ocean floor will move because of plate tectonics. As it moves towards another plate, since it is denser, it will subduct and moves towards the mantle (rocks are destroyed due to heat). The melted plates makes its density less and rise up in the surface in a form of volcanoes. And the cycle continues.