Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer layer is made up of plates, which have moved throughout Earth's history. The theory explains the how and why behind mountains, volcanoes ...

The tiny Juan de Fuca plate is largely responsible for the volcanoes ... The movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries: convergent, where plates move into one another ...

Today, the upheavals of plate tectonics continually reshape Earth. When this began is much disputed - and we can’t fully understand how life began to thrive on our planet until we figure it out ...

Earth’s surface is constantly shifting, shaped by the slow but powerful movement of tectonic plates. While some plates have ...

Four types of plate tectonic activity are demonstrated in this feature. Keep an eye on the map to see where in the world the activity takes place. Also known as spreading boundary, a divergent ...

Slab pull occurs where older, denser tectonic plates sink into the mantle at subduction zones. As these older sections of plates sink, newer and less dense sections of plate are pulled along behind.

It has vast water oceans and abundant life. But Earth is also unique because it is the only planet with plate tectonics, which shaped its geology, climate and possibly influenced the evolution of ...

Now, scientists have uncovered one of these missing pieces—the Pontus plate—shedding new light on Earth’s geological past and ...

Oceans are not necessarily a permanent fixture on Earth, as they are able to appear and close due to the work of plate tectonics. More specifically, subduction zones — where tectonic plates slip ...

A breakthrough study has provided the most detailed 3D look yet at the inner workings of the Tonga Subduction Zone, where ...

High-Resolution Anisotropic Tomography Reveals Mantle Flow Complexity and Slab-Plume Interactions, Redefining Subduction Zone ...