A mobile-lid mode of planetary evolution in which coherent pieces of the lithosphere move, form at spreading regions and can recycle through subduction. Slab pull, ridge push and mantle flow compete with deformation resistance. It affects heat transport, volcanism, earthquakes and the carbonate-silicate cycle. It is not guaranteed solely by an exoplanet's mass.
Gravitational sliding of lithospheric material away from elevated spreading regions. It supplies a driving contribution to plate tectonics together with slab pull and mantle stresses.
Downward recycling of a lithospheric plate into the mantle. A sufficiently cold, dense slab can provide slab pull, while bending and friction resist motion. The resulting material and volatile recycling connects plate tectonics with volcanism and long-term climate.
A gravitational driving force associated with a dense descending slab. The slab's buoyancy and ability to remain coherent matter, so increased planetary gravity alone does not determine whether subduction occurs.

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Plate tectonics by Wikipedia Bot 1
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Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that explains the large-scale movement of Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into several tectonic plates. These plates float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them, and their interactions shape the Earth's surface, leading to various geological phenomena. Key concepts of plate tectonics include: 1. **Lithosphere and Asthenosphere**: The lithosphere is the rigid outer layer of the Earth, comprising the crust and the uppermost mantle.
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