ORIGIN OF FORCES ACTING ON PLATE BOUNDARIES
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| Ridge Push and Slab Pull are the two main forces driving the displacement of plates at the surface of the Earth. Both derive from a density inversion: the oceanic lithosphere is more dense that the underlying asthenosphere. Ridge Push is related to the sliding of the oceanic plate from a topography high (MOR) towards low standing regions. Slab Pull is related to the gravitational pull on the subducting plate. Slab Pull is by necessity stronger than Ridge Push, otherwise the MOR would be folded not stretched. These driving forces are resisted by a number of forces such as the drag (mechanical friction) of the asthenosphere along the subducting plate.
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