Tectonic Plates
⭐ MasteredEarth's crust is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates that move very slowly. Where they collide, mountains, volcanoes and earthquakes form.
Plates move about as fast as your fingernails grow.
All about Tectonic Plates
Earth's outer shell, the lithosphere, is broken into huge pieces called tectonic plates. These plates float on the hot, flowing mantle beneath and move very slowly, about as fast as your fingernails grow.
When plates collide, they can form mountains and cause earthquakes. When they pull apart, magma can rise to form new crust, and at subduction zones one plate slides under another, often leading to volcanoes.
🎮 Try it yourself!
Loading…
Real-life uses of Tectonic Plates
- Explaining why earthquake zones and volcanoes are found in certain places
- Locating valuable minerals that form along plate boundaries
- Helping engineers design buildings for earthquake regions
Frequently asked questions about Tectonic Plates
How many major tectonic plates are there?
There are around seven major plates and many smaller ones.
Are the continents moving?
Yes. The continents move slowly on the plates, about a few centimetres per year.
What is Pangaea?
A supercontinent that existed about 300 million years ago before it split into the continents we know today.