PLATE TECTONICS

Our restless Earth is made up of many plates called plate tectonics. The theory of plate tectonics was developed by Alfred Wegener a German meteorologist. The Earth is divided into 3 layers. The names of the layers are the core, the mantle and the crust. The Earth has several pieces of the crust. These pieces of crust are called plates. There are about 13 plates, both big and small, covering the earth's hot and slushy mantle. This slushy material is called the Lithosphere. These plates move on top of the Lithosphere. These movements cause the dangerous earthquakes and the volcanoes.
His theory includes that there once was a super continent 200 million years ago. This super continent was called Pangaea. It was made up of the current continents, that all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Supporting this theory, there are similar glacial scratches on certain continents. Africa, South America, India and Australia have these glacial scratches. This is the best evidence supporting the theory a super continent. Also supporting the theory, in Africa, India, South America, Antarctica and Australia there are similar layers of rock. As the years went by Pangaea began, and still is, drifting apart because of the Lithosphere movement pushing the continents around. This is called the Continental Drift.
The continents move about 1.5 inches each year, so the motion is not noticeable over a short period of time. The plates move wherever the slushy Lithosphere takes them: away from, toward, or to slide past each other. Sliding away from each other is called diverging. At convergent boundaries the movement of the is plates toward each other. A transform plate boundary is where the continents slide past each other. When continental plates shift, the Earth experiences earthquakes and volcanoes.

Click on each continent to learn more about recent Earth movement on it.

Africa

Antarctica

Asia

Australia

Europe

North America

South America

For more information about Restless Earth's Plate Tectonics
visit these World Wide Web sites (to get back to this site,
use the Back button on your browser):

http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/geology/tectonics.html - Plate Tectonics
http://geology.er.usgs.gov/eastern/plates.html - Major Tectonic Plates of the World

click here to Meet the Authors

Click here to Test Your Knowledge

Click here to return to the Home Page

Our restless Earth is made up of many plates called plate tectonics. The theory of plate tectonics was developed by Alfred Wegener a German meteorologist. The Earth is divided into 3 layers. The names of the layers are the core, the mantle and the crust. The Earth has several pieces of the crust. These pieces of crust are called plates. There are about 13 plates, both big and small, covering the earth's hot and slushy mantle. This slushy material is called the Lithosphere. These plates move on top of the Lithosphere. These movements cause the dangerous earthquakes and the volcanoes. His theory includes that there once was a super continent 200 million years ago. This super continent was called Pangaea. It was made up of the current continents, that all fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Supporting this theory, there are similar glacial scratches on certain continents. Africa, South America, India and Australia have these glacial scratches. This is the best evidence supporting the theory a super continent. Also supporting the theory, in Africa, India, South America, Antarctica and Australia there are similar layers of rock. As the years went by Pangaea began, and still is, drifting apart because of the Lithosphere movement pushing the continents around. This is called the Continental Drift. The continents move about 1.5 inches each year, so the motion is not noticeable over a short period of time. The plates move wherever the slushy Lithosphere takes them: away from, toward, or to slide past each other. Sliding away from each other is called diverging. At convergent boundaries the movement of the is plates toward each other. A transform plate boundary is where the continents slide past each other. When continental plates shift, the Earth experiences earthquakes and volcanoes. Click on each continent to learn more about recent Earth movement on it.		Africa
		Antarctica
		Asia
		Australia
		Europe
		North America
		South America