Home » Plate Tectonics

Plate Tectonics


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


What is Plate Tectonics?

Plate tectonics is a theory about how Earth's lithosphere is divided into a series of rigid plates; and, how movements of these plates produce earthquakes, volcanoes, ocean trenches, mountain ranges, and more.

Plate Tectonics Animation

Watch This Billion-Year Journey of Earth's Tectonic Plates on The New York Times website. Click map above to view.

Teaching Tectonics
Teaching Tectonics
Teaching Plate Tectonics with easy-to-draw illustrations is fun and effective.
Plate Tectonics Map
Plate Tectonics Map
Plate Tectonics Map of the world, showing plates, boundaries, boundary types and more.
What Is The Moho?
What Is The Moho?
What Is The Moho? Learn about the Mohorovicic Discontinuity.
Great Rift Valley
The East Africa Rift System:
The East Africa Rift System Learn about the East Africa Rift.
San Andreas Article
San Andreas Article
What is the San Andreas Fault? Map, photos and description of the fault.
Gifts That Rock
Gifts That Rock
Gifts That Rock - What are the most popular gift items in the Geology.com store?
Tsunami Causes
What Causes a Tsunami?
What Causes a Tsunami? Learn how plate motions trigger earthquakes and tsunamis.
Japan Earthquake
The Japan Earthquake
The Japan Earthquake shifted Earth*s mass resulting in a shorter day.
Types Of Eruptions
Types Of Eruptions
Types of Volcanic Eruptions - A description of the most common eruption types.
Hawaiian Hot Spot
Hawaiian Hot Spot
How did the Hawaiian Islands Form? The power of a moving plate over a stationary hot spot.
The Largest Earthquake
The Largest Earthquake
The Largest Earthquake ever recorded was a 9.5 magnitude event in 1960 in Chile
New Madrid
New Madrid
New Madrid Seismic Zone An earthquake hazard review for the NMSZ.
Pacific Tsunamis
Pacific Tsunamis
Pacific Tsunamis This ocean is surrounded by plate boundaries, that can produce tsunamis.
Lo'ihi Seamount
The Next Hawaiian Island
The Next Hawaiian Island could be growing in the Pacific Ocean right now. Its name is Lo'ihi.
Indian Ocean Tsunamis
Indian Ocean Tsunamis
Indian Ocean Tsunamis Deadly tsunamis triggered by earthquakes and volcanoes.
Geology Tools
Geology Tools
Geology Tools - Rock hammers, field bags, hand lenses, maps, hardness picks, gold pans.