Plate tectonics (from Latin tectonicus, from Ancient Greek τεκτονικός (tektonikós) ' pertaining to building ') [1] is the scientific theory that the Earth's lithosphere comprises a number of large tectonic plates, which have been slowly moving since 3–4 billion years ago.

Jan 14, 2025 · plate tectonics, theory dealing with the dynamics of Earth’s outer shell—the lithosphere—that revolutionized Earth sciences by providing a uniform context for understanding mountain-building processes, volcanoes, and earthquakes as well as the evolution of Earth’s surface and reconstructing its past continents and oceans.

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 earth sciences by explaining many phenomena, including …

Feb 17, 2023 · 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. Plate tectonic theory began in 1915 when Alfred Wegener proposed his theory of continental drift.

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, mountain ranges, and more.

Feb 11, 2020 · Plate tectonics has revolutionized the way we view large features on the surface of the Earth. Earth’s internal processes were previously thought to operate in a vertical fashion, with continents, oceans, and mountain ranges bobbing up …

The Earth's plates jostle about in fits and starts that are punctuated with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Learn about how plates move and their impact on the Earth's surface. Skip to...