The lithosphere is the outer layer of the Earth due to tensional stress it gets fractured.
Tensional stress cause strain on the lithospheric material, which results in the fractures of the rocks in the lithosphere.
Tensional stress dominates the interaction between the plates and pulls them apart, due to this crust collide and the plates move in the opposite direction and it causes a fracture in the lithosphere.
Thus Tensional stress causes fractures in the lithosphere.
