Why does the earth have plate tectonics?

Earth is the only planet we know of that has plate tectonics. So what went right? Models have shown that for plate tectonics to get going a planet has to be just the right size: too small and its lithosphere – the solid part of the crust and upper mantle – will be too thick. read more

Models have shown that for plate tectonics to get going a planet has to be just the right size: too small and its lithosphere – the solid part of the crust and upper mantle – will be too thick. read more

The plates on the surface essentially float on mantel, which is why, in laments terms, Earth has plate tectonics. The other rocky planets once had plate tectonics much like Earth, but as Mars is much smaller and more importantly less dense than Earth. read more

If we didn't have tectonic plates nothing would be living. We would have been burnt by the moulten lava. read more

The Earth has plate tectonics due to convection in the Mantle. The Earth’s interior is made up of 4 basic zones: the Crust (down to about 70 km), the Mantle (70-2981 km), the liquid Outer Core (2891-5154km) and then the solid Inner Core. read more