tectonic plates
Earth's shifting puzzle
Tectonic plates are the massive slabs of rock that form Earth's outer shell, floating on the semi-molten layer beneath.
These plates shift slowly over millions of years, and where they meet—colliding, separating, or sliding past each other—earthquakes occur, volcanoes form, and mountains rise.
Continental drift and seafloor spreading are driven by plate movement.
The San Andreas Fault marks where two tectonic plates grind past each other.
Gradual landmass repositioning
- subductionPlate descending beneath another
- convergenceProcess of approaching sameness
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
- collisionForceful contact between objects
spreading · rifting · GPS tracking · driving forces · rotation · deformation · strain · stress
Crust plus upper mantle
- continentalOf a continent
- oceanicOf the sea
- mantleCovering or wrap
- asthenosphereDuctile upper mantle layer
crust · rigid · silicate · granite · basalt · crustal · subduction zone · convergent
Seismic ground movement
- seismologyStudy of ground tremors
- fault lineTectonic boundary crack
- epicenterPoint above seismic origin
- magnitudeSize or scale
tremor · aftershock · seismic wave · Richter scale · tsunami · liquefaction · ground shaking · seismograph
Tall natural landmass
- orogenyGeological mountain formation
- HimalayasAsia's highest range
- AndesSouth American western range
- AlpsEuropean mountain system
oceanic trench · Mariana Trench · East African Rift · mountain building · basin · plateau · isostasy
Prehistoric unified landmass
- GondwanaAncient southern supercontinent
- paleomagnetismRemnant magnetism in rocks
- fossil evidencePreserved remains supporting theories
- supercontinentCombined planetary landmass
Earth's fiery vent
- magmaMolten rock underground
- lavaErupted liquid stone
- eruptionViolent sudden release
- hotspotArea of notable activity
volcanic arc · caldera · pyroclastic · shield volcano · stratovolcano · Hawaii · Iceland · Yellowstone
continental drift
Gradual landmass repositioning
- subductionPlate descending beneath another
- convergenceProcess of approaching sameness
- divergenceSeparation from common origin
collision · spreading · rifting · GPS tracking · driving forces · rotation · deformation · strain · stress · uplift
lithosphere
Crust plus upper mantle
- continentalOf a continent
- oceanicOf the sea
- mantleCovering or wrap
asthenosphere · crust · rigid · silicate · granite · basalt · crustal · subduction zone · convergent · divergent
earthquake
Seismic ground movement
- seismologyStudy of ground tremors
- fault lineTectonic boundary crack
- epicenterPoint above seismic origin
magnitude · tremor · aftershock · seismic wave · Richter scale · tsunami · liquefaction · ground shaking · seismograph · Ring of Fire
mountain
Tall natural landmass
Alps · oceanic trench · Mariana Trench · East African Rift · mountain building · basin · plateau · isostasy
Pangaea
Prehistoric unified landmass
- GondwanaAncient southern supercontinent
- paleomagnetismRemnant magnetism in rocks
- fossil evidencePreserved remains supporting theories
volcano
Earth's fiery vent
hotspot · volcanic arc · caldera · pyroclastic · shield volcano · stratovolcano · Hawaii · Iceland · Yellowstone · volcanic belt
- Earthearth, Earth, globe, continent, axis
- earth scienceatmosphere, earthquake, geology, volcano, crust
- earthquakesearthquake, quake, earthquakes, quakes, epicenter
- geologybedrock, fault lines, faults, rock, basalt
- Indian OceanArabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Andaman Sea
- science imagesDNA helix, petri dish, test tube, beaker, periodic table
tectonic platesasthenosphere
Ductile upper mantle layer
mantle · magma · outer core · molten core
plate, plates, tectonic, tectonics, architectonic, tectonic plate