do lithosphere form when the olates slide up against each other, slide towards eachother, or slide away frim sachother
The lithosphere is a rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and the uppermost part of the mantle. It is not formed by the sliding or movement of plates against each other.
The lithosphere is created through a process called plate tectonics. It is formed when two tectonic plates move apart from each other (divergent boundary), slide past each other horizontally (transform boundary), or collide with each other (convergent boundary).
In divergent boundaries, tectonic plates move away from each other, creating a gap where molten rock rises to the surface and solidifies, forming new crust. This process is known as seafloor spreading and leads to the creation of new lithosphere.
In transform boundaries, tectonic plates slide horizontally past each other. There is no formation of new lithosphere in this process, but rather the stress buildup from the plates' movement can result in earthquakes.
In convergent boundaries, tectonic plates collide with each other. Depending on the type of plates involved, different processes occur. In oceanic-continental convergence, the denser oceanic plate subducts beneath the less dense continental plate, forming a subduction zone. As the oceanic plate descends into the mantle, it generates heat and melts, creating volcanic activity and new lithosphere. In oceanic-oceanic convergence, one oceanic plate subducts beneath the other, resulting in volcanic island arcs and the formation of new lithosphere. In continental-continental convergence, the collision leads to the uplift of mountains, such as the Himalayas, but does not involve the formation of new lithosphere.
So, while the sliding, converging, and diverging of tectonic plates are involved in the formation of the lithosphere, it is not a direct result of the sliding itself, but rather the processes that occur at plate boundaries.