What is a primary reason for the movement of tectonic plates?

The movement of tectonic plates primarily occurs due to convection within the mantle, which plays a crucial role in plate tectonics. The Earth's mantle behaves like a viscous fluid over geological timescales. As the mantle is heated by the inner core, it causes the material to rise, where it cools near the crust and eventually sinks back down. This continuous cycle creates convection currents.

These currents generate forces that contribute to the movement of the tectonic plates situated on the Earth's surface. As the plates drift, they can interact at their boundaries, leading to various geological phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic activity, and the formation of mountain ranges.

While continental drift forces and gravitational pull can have some influence, they do not serve as the primary driving mechanism for the movement of tectonic plates. Wind patterns, on the other hand, are unrelated to tectonic processes, as they are atmospheric phenomena rather than geological.