Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer layer is made up of plates, which have moved throughout Earth's history. The theory explains the how and why behind mountains, volcanoes ...

The tiny Juan de Fuca plate is largely responsible for the volcanoes ... The movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries: convergent, where plates move into one another ...

According to plate tectonics theory, Earth's outer shell is divided into multiple plates that slowly glide over the mantle. This slowly changes Earth's surface over time by merging, or separating ...

Map of the Word with lines marking boundaries of tectonic plates. Plate tectonics is a theory that explains how Earth’s lithosphere—its upper mantle and crust—is split into sections called ...

Today, the upheavals of plate tectonics continually reshape Earth. When this began is much disputed - and we can’t fully understand how life began to thrive on our planet until we figure it out ...

Four types of plate tectonic activity are demonstrated in this feature. Keep an eye on the map to see where in the world the activity takes place. Also known as spreading boundary, a divergent ...

The Earth is made of different layers: the core, mantle and crust. Plate tectonic theory shows that the crust of the Earth is split into plates (pieces of the Earth’s crust). The movement of ...