Plate tectonics explains the features and movement of Earth's surface in the present and the past. Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle, the rocky inner layer above the core.
From the deepest ocean trench to the tallest mountain, plate tectonics explains the features and movement of Earth's surface in the present and the past. Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over the mantle, the rocky inner layer above the core. The plates act like a hard and rigid shell compared to Earth's mantle. This strong outer layer is called the lithosphere. Developed from the 1950s through the 1970s, plate tectonics is the modern version of continental drift, a theory first proposed by scientist Alfred Wegener in 1912. Tectonic plates are large plates of rock that make up the foundation of the Earth's crust and the shape of the continents. The tectonic plates comprise the bottom of the crust and the top of the Earth's mantle. There are ten major plates on Earth and many more minor ones.  The theory of plate tectonics itself says that the Earth's lithosphere is made up individual plates that are broken down into over a dozen large and small pieces of solid rock.  The location where two plates meet is called a plate boundary. Plate boundaries are commonly associated with geological events such as earthquakes and the creation of topographic features such as mountains, volcanoes, mid-ocean ridges, and oceanic trenches. Where the plates meet, their relative motion determines the type of boundary: convergent, divergent, or transform. Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along these plate boundaries. The lateral relative movement of the plates typically ranges from zero to 100 mm annually. Rockhound. Plate tectonics cause earthquakes, and volcanoes. When the plates move they built up stress and when the faults release the fault cause and earth quake. There are different types of earthquakes that happen when plate collide. The main force that makes the earth move and tectonics plates form is the outer layer of the earth called lithosphere. They are what creates mountains to become higher a … nd the oceans to become wider because of the earth faults and folds. Sarahroxoutofhersox1. Tectonic Plates, Earthquakes, and Volcanoes. According to the theory of plate tectonics, Earth is an active planet. Its surface is composed of many individual plates that move and interact, constantly changing and reshaping Earth's outer layer. Volcanoes and earthquakes both result from the movement of tectonic plat Plate tectonics is useful in the field of geology because it can be used to explain a variety of geologic processes, including volcanic activity, earthquakes, and mountain building.   Plate tectonics are what creates some of the worlds natural diasters. E.g: Tsunami's, Earthquakes, ect. No they are not the same thing.    Plate Tectonics is the study of mechanisms and the results of  large-scale movement of the earth's crust.    Tectonic Plates … are large sections of the earth's crust that float  on top of semi-molten rocks of the upper mantle.
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what does a tectonic plate do