What is the relationship between the rock cycle and plate tectonics?

Question

Violet Adams · Accepted Answer

Plate Tectonics are key to the rock cycle, forming igneous rocks and recycling sedimentary and metamorphic rocks.

Basaltic igneous rocks are extruded at mid ocean ridges caused by divergent boundaries. Granite igneous rocks are extruded at volcanos caused by hot spots, and convergent plate boundaries like subduction zones. All igneous rocks the basis of the rock cycle are formed by plate tectonics. The igneous rocks are eroded and turned into sedimentary rocks. The sedimentary rocks layers generally tend to be recycled by plate tectonics. The deep ocean sediments are turned back into igneous rocks where they are pushed back into the mantle at subduction zones. This movement from igneous to sedimentary back to igneous is a major part of the rock cycle. The heat from the mantle that fuels plate tectonics causes both igneous and sedimentary rocks to be turned into metamorphic rocks. The metamorphic rocks can be eroded into sedimentary rocks are remelted back into igneous. rocks. So the movement of metamorphic rocks in the rock cycle is also driven by plate tectonics.

Audrey Adams · Answer

undefined The rock cycle and plate tectonics are closely interconnected geological processes. Plate tectonics drive the movement and interaction of Earth's lithospheric plates, leading to various geological phenomena such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and the formation of mountain ranges. These processes contribute to the creation, destruction, and transformation of rocks, which is central to the rock cycle. For example, at divergent plate boundaries, where plates move apart, magma from the mantle rises to the surface, solidifies, and forms igneous rocks. At convergent plate boundaries, where plates collide, intense pressure and heat can lead to the metamorphism of existing rocks or the formation of new igneous rocks through volcanic activity. Additionally, the subduction of oceanic plates beneath continental plates at convergent boundaries can recycle rocks back into the mantle. The rock cycle, therefore, operates within the broader framework of plate tectonics, with the movement and interactions of Earth's lithospheric plates driving the processes of rock formation, alteration, and recycling over geological time scales.