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Plate Tectonics

Plate Tectonics Articles, Theory, Plate Diagrams, Maps, Teaching Ideas

Earthquake Frequency

San Andreas Quake Frequency: Earthquake frequency might be higher than previously believed.

Growth of the Andes

How Fast Did the Andes Rise? Oxygen isotope studies reveal a much slower rate of rise.

Sun & Moon Triggers?

Can the Sun and Moon Trigger Faults? Minute stresses might be triggers.

San Andreas Fault

San Andreas Fault Behavior: Trenching studies reveal fault behavior.

Mariana Trench

Exploring the Mariana Trench: A robotic vehicle dives 6.8 miles down - a new world record!

San Andreas Map

Google Map of the San Andreas Fault: Zoom in to see the fault trace plotted atop of a map or satellite images.

Great Rift Valley

The East Africa Rift System: Learn about the East Africa Rift.

San Andreas Article

What is the San Andreas Fault? Map, photos and description of the fault by Dr. David Lynch.

Tsunami Causes

What Causes a Tsunami? Learn how plate motions trigger earthquakes and tsunamis.

Volcanoes

Volcanoes: A page that links to all of our volcano articles and to the best volcano information that we could find.

If it is not grown, it is mined.

3 Quakes in 2 Minutes

M 8.1 Earthquake Hides Two M 7.8 Quakes: Three huge earthquakes in just two minutes.

Oldest Piece of Mantle

Oldest Piece of Mantle: A 4.5 billion-year-old slab of mantle under Baffin Island, Canada.

Ocean Rifting on Land

Ocean Rifting on Land: A new rift in Ethiopia is analogous to an ocean basin rift.

Dynamic Earth

Earth's Core & Magnetic Field: Exploring Earth's internal structure & magnetic field.

Salton Sea Earthquake

San Andreas Fault Hazard: Faults transfer strain below the Salton Sea.

Carbonatite Lava

Carbonatite Lava Flows at Oldoinyo Lengai: These carbon dioxide-rich lavas are some of the most fluid in the world. They flow like motor oil.

Teaching Tectonics

Teaching Plate Tectonics with Easy-to-Draw Illustrations: Most students love to draw and are visual learners. Take advantage of that in a draw-with-me lesson.

Guatemala Jade

Tectonic History In Jade: Dates of metamorphism and fault motion locked in jade.

Oil is found first in the mind.

New Madrid Mystery

New Madrid Mystery: Why do large earthquakes occur far from an active plate boundary?

Cities Moved by Quake

South American cities move during earthquake.

South American Cities Moved by Earthquake: Some moved ten feet westward.

Supervolcano In Italy

Supervolcano in Italy: A fossil supervolcano beneath the Italian Alps.

Strange Fault Behavior

Fault Behavior: Some faults appear strong but behave like weak faults.

Pacific Tsunami Threat

Pacific Tsunami Threat: Alaska earthquakes can impact the Pacific Basin.

New Madrid

New Madrid Seismic Zone: An earthquake hazard review for the NMSZ..

Drilling To The Moho

Drilling to Earth's Mantle: New technology might make drilling to the Moho possible.

Age Of The Andes

How Old Are The Andes Mountains? New research suggests that the growth of the Andes Mountains began much earlier than 7 MYA.

Magma Formation

Depth of Magma Formation in Subduction Zones: Chlorite reveals the depth of magma formation in subuction zones.

The present is the key to the past.

Plate Tectonic News

Christchurch Earthquake Recovery: The mayor and several other Christchurch, New Zealand...

Tsunamis in the Atlantic Ocean: A tsunami in the Atlantic Ocean is a...

Computer Models for Plate Tectonics: "New computer algorithms for the first time allow...

Documenting a Slow-Moving "Earthquake": "University of Washington seismologists have begun recording a...

Oldest Piece of Earth's Mantle Discovered: Researchers have found what is believed to be...

Unmapped Fault Caused Haiti Earthquake: The Enriquillo fault, which runs through Haiti, was...

Map of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Plate Boundaries, Impact Structures and More: Teachers preparing for the upcoming school year should...

Understanding LIDAR: The summer issue of Arizona Geology has a...

Sediment Composition and Earthquake Strength: Researchers study fault surfaces along the plate boundary...

United States Tsunami Threat?: The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program has a webpage...

What Is The Moho?

What is the Moho? Learn about the Mohorovicic Discontinuity.

Plate Boundaries

Zoom In On Plate Boundaries: Explore divergent, convergent and transform plate boundaries with satellite images and maps.

Geology underlies it all.