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 movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries: convergent, where plates move into one another; divergent, where plates move apart; and transform, where plates move sideways ...

The Earth is made of different layers: the core, mantle and crust. Plate tectonic theory shows that the crust of the Earth is split into plates (pieces of the Earth’s crust). The movement of ...

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 ...

Does mantle convection drive plate tectonics? After the discovery of radioactivity by Marie Curie and Henri Becquerel in 1896 it became clear that the Earth's interior would be heated by radioactive ...

All of these processes result from plate tectonics, the movement of enormous chunks of Earth's crust. This movement may be why life exists here. Earth is the only known planet with plate tectonics ...

Geology. The presence of oceans, continents and plate tectonics on Earth is most likely the reason there is no evidence for advanced extraterrestrial civilizations, according to new research by ...

From time to time, when Earth's tectonic plates shift, the planet emits a long, slow belch of carbon dioxide. In a new ...