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12.8 What forces cause plate motions and plumes?
- Plate motions and plumes are convection.
- Downwelling at convergent boundaries:
- Determines the speed and direction of plate motion.
- Gravity pulls the dense, subducted slab down.
- Most of the remaining driving force is due to slab suction caused by the downward pull.
- Debate continues over seismic tomography and whether it accurately depicts (Fig. 12.42) deep mantle penetration.