Identification of the mechanism of tectonic movements of the Earth’s crust

Relevance. Earthquakes occur in the space of tectonic plates during their mutual (relative) movement in the lithosphere. At the same time, depending on the situation, subduction, collision and plates spreading, which lead to the accumulation of stress to a value exceeding the stability of the rock and the occurrence of an earthquake. However, nowadays, there is no clear idea about the nature of the force moving the lithospheric plates of the earth’s crust. It is believed that the horizontal movement of plates occurs due to the mantle heat and gravitational flows – convection. The source of energy for these flows is the temperature difference between the temperature of the central zones of the Earth and the temperature of its surface. However, this hypothesis cannot explain the process of spreading between the plates. Along with endogenous forces, exogenous (cosmogenic) forces most significantly influence plate movement. Consequently, determination and mathematical description of the nature and characteristics of these forces is an urgent task. This paper is devoted to this task. Purpose of the work: The mathematical description of the accelerated Earth’s revolution around the Sun and around the center of our Galaxy leading to the oscillatory motion of lithospheric plates. Research methodology. The authors used methods of mathematical modeling, the theory of movement of crustal blocks and continental drift, the laws of mechanics and the orbital movement of the Earth around the Sun and the Solar System around the center of our Galaxy. Results. Mathematical models of the process of accelerated orbital movement of the Earth around the Sun and the center of our Galaxy have been developed taking into account a tidal force, the force created by the Earth’s magnetic field (Lorentz force), the friction force between the ocean floor and ocean water, and the Coriolis force. It is shown that the proposed models with a relative error of 4% properly describe the orbital movement of Mercury and Mars around the Sun. Conclusions. As a result of a comprehensive study, it was revealed that one of the main factors forcing tectonic plates to move is the accelerated orbital motion of the Earth relative to the center of our Galaxy. In this case, a huge amount of movement occurs in the horizontal direction leading to deformation (extension and compression) of the Earth’s crust and an increase in the probability of earthquakes occurrence in seismic (dislocation) zones. A mathematical model of the force of tectonic movement of the earth’s crust is proposed. It is shown that the model properly describes the accelerated orbital movement of Mercury and Mars. When describing the orbital movement of the Earth, additional forces are taken into account, such as a tidal force, the force created by the Earth’s magnetic field, friction between the ocean floor and ocean water, and the Coriolis force. It is shown that the force moving the tectonic plates has a cosmogenic nature