Tectonic Plates

Tectonic Plates

The Earth’s surface is divided into thick slabs called tectonic plates. Each plate is a fragment of the Earth’s rigid outer layer, or lithosphere.
 

• Tectonic Plates are probably driven by convection currents of molten rock that circulate with the Earth’s mantle.
• The lithosphere was too thin for tectonic plates until 500 million years ago.
• The movement of Tectonic Plates accounts for many things, including the pattern of volcanic and earthquake activity around the world.
• There Are 16 plates and several small we ones.

• The Biggest Plate is the Pacific Plate, which underlies the whole of thePacific Ocean.
• Tectonic Plates are all moving at the same time – by about 10cm a year. Over hundreds of million years they move vast distances. Some have moved halfway round the globe.
• The continents are embedded with more of the plates and move with them.
• The Pacific plate is the only large plate with no part of a continent situated on it.

 
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