
Plate tectonics - Wikipedia
Plate tectonics (from Latin tectonicus, from Ancient Greek τεκτονικός (tektonikós) 'pertaining to building') [2] is the scientific theory that Earth 's lithosphere comprises a number of large …
Plate Tectonics - National Geographic Society
May 21, 2025 · 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, …
Plate tectonics | Definition, Theory, Facts, & Evidence | Britannica
Dec 23, 2025 · Plate tectonics, theory dealing with the dynamics of Earth’s outer shell that revolutionized Earth sciences by providing a uniform context for understanding mountain …
Plate Tectonics – Introduction to Earth Science - Virginia Tech
Describe how the ideas behind plate tectonics started with Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis of continental drift. Describe the physical and chemical layers of the Earth and how they affect …
2 Plate Tectonics – An Introduction to Geology
Describe how the ideas behind plate tectonics started with Alfred Wegener’s hypothesis of continental drift Describe the physical and chemical layers of the Earth and how they affect …
5.3: Basics of Plate Tectonics - Geosciences LibreTexts
According to plate tectonic theory, the lithosphere is divided into rigid plates that interact with one another at their boundaries. Earthquakes, faults, and folds take place at these boundaries.
Plate Tectonics – Definition, Theory, Plate Boundaries, and …
May 3, 2018 · The theory of plate tectonics is the unifying framework of modern geology. It explains how the Earth’s rigid outer shell — the lithosphere — is divided into large slabs called …
Basics--Plate Tectonics
Plate tectonic theory allowed geologists to understand the connections between the world's volcanic arcs and deep earthquake zones; exotic terranes and thrust fault zones; and …
Plate Tectonics Theory, Diagrams, Boundaries - GEOLOGY.COM
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, …
1.5 Fundamentals of Plate Tectonics - isu.pressbooks.pub
Plate tectonics is the model or theory that has been used for the past 60 years to understand and explain how the Earth works—more specifically the origins of continents and oceans, of folded …