What internal force contributes to changes in Earth's surface due to movements of tectonic plates?

The internal force that contributes to changes in Earth's surface due to movements of tectonic plates is plate tectonics. This process involves the movement and interaction of the Earth's lithosphere, which is divided into several large and small plates. As these tectonic plates move, they can collide, pull apart, or slide past one another, leading to a variety of geological phenomena such as earthquakes, mountain building, and volcanic activity.

Understanding plate tectonics is crucial because it explains not only the formation of various landforms but also the dynamic processes that occur beneath the Earth's crust. The interactions between plates can result in significant surface changes over geological time scales, shaping the landscape into what we observe today.

The other options, while they relate to geological and environmental processes, do not function as internal forces driving plate movements. Weather patterns and climate change primarily refer to atmospheric and oceanic conditions rather than geological processes. Erosion, while it alters the surface as well, is a result of external forces acting on the landscape rather than the internal dynamics associated with plate movements.