The processes that result in plates and shape Earth's crust are called tectonics. Tectonic plates also occur in other planets and moons. Earth's lithosphere, the rigid outer shell of the planet …

Plate tectonics, theory dealing with the dynamics of Earth’s outer shell that revolutionized Earth sciences by providing a uniform context for understanding mountain-building processes, …

Tectonic plates are large, irregular-shaped slabs of rock making up the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. They are found to float on top of a semi-liquid layer of rock called the asthenosphere. …

Tectonic plates are essentially rigid segments of the Earth’s lithosphere, a layer that includes the crust and the upper part of the mantle. They range in size from a few hundred to thousands of …

Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that explains how major landforms are created as a result of Earth’s subterranean movements. The theory, which solidified in the 1960s, transformed the …

What is a tectonic plate? A tectonic plate (also called lithospheric plate) is a massive, irregularly shaped slab of solid rock, generally composed of both continental and oceanic lithosphere. …

Plate tectonics describes the motions of the 15 to 20 large rigid and brittle tectonic plates into which the Earth's outermost layer is broken.

The theory of plate tectonics explains processes in the geosphere that are fueled by Earth’s internal heat that have operated over billions of years. These changes can be imperceptible …

Plate tectonics is a theory about how Earth's lithosphere is divided into a series of rigid plates; and, how movements of these plates produce earthquakes, volcanoes, ocean trenches, …

Plate tectonics thus provides a unified explanation for nearly all surface geological activity on Earth. The acceptance of plate tectonics revolutionized geology, oceanography, and …