Mountains and mountain ranges on Earth are typically formed by the movement and/or interaction of lithospheric plates.

This convection process causes the lithospheric plates to move, albeit slowly.

Hot spot: An area in the middle of a lithospheric plate where magma rises from the mantle and erupts at the Earth's surface.

Spreading ridges: Places on the ocean floor where lithospheric plates separate and magma erupts.

Subduction zone: The place where two lithospheric plates come together, one riding over the other.

In other words, ideal lithospheric plates do not deform internally as they move.

The thin lithospheric plates which cover the surface of the Earth are also subject to flexure, when a load or force is applied to them.

The cooling rock exerts a force on spreading lithospheric plates, helping to drive their movements.

One of the first pieces of geophysical evidence that was used to support the movement of lithospheric plates came from paleomagnetism.

The lithospheric plates ride on the asthenosphere.