Earth's Tectonic Plates

Earth’s Tectonic Plates

Earth’s outer shell, the lithosphere, is broken into large pieces called tectonic plates. These plates float on the partially melted layer of the mantle called the asthenosphere and are constantly moving, though very slowly. The movement of tectonic plates is responsible for earthquakes, volcanic er...

Earth’s lithosphere is divided into giant moving pieces called tectonic plates that interact with the asthenosphere, a softer layer of rock beneath them.

These plates move due to convection currents in the mantle, reshaping continents and causing natural events like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

Scientists identified tectonic p...