Una vez pensamos que la convección del manto debajo de las placas tectónicas podría impulsar los movimientos de las placas. Los primeros libros de texto mostraban células de convección del manto, como en un vaso de líquido caliente en un mechero Bunsen, empujando las placas desde abajo.

The Earth has 3 main layers based on chemical composition: crust, mantle, and core. Other layers are defined by physical characteristics due to pressure and temperature changes. This animation tells how the layers were discovered, what the layers are, and a bit about how the crust differs from the tectonic (lithospheric) plates, a distinction confused by many.

Without understanding what it is, we often hear the phrase “down to the Moho”, meaning very very deep. The Mohorovicic Discontinuity, commonly called the “Moho” is recognized as the boundary zone between Earth's crust and the mantle. Spoiler Alert: It is about Snell’s Law.

This intermediate-level animation describes what the tectonic (lithospheric) plates are and how they interact. It differentiates between continental and oceanic plates, and between the three major types of boundaries. 

UPDATED (Jan, 2022) - New Ending On Convection 
Lithospheric plates are part of a planetary scale thermal convection system. The energy source for plate tectonics is Earth’s internal heat while the forces moving the plates are the “ridge push” and “slab pull” gravity forces.