
Plate tectonics | Definition, Theory, Facts, & Evidence | Britannica
Oct 31, 2025 · The concept of plate tectonics was formulated in the 1960s. According to the theory, Earth has a rigid outer layer, known as the lithosphere, which is typically about 100 km …
Plate tectonics - Wikipedia
The theory of plate tectonics was defined in a series of papers between 1965 and 1967. The theory revolutionized the Earth sciences, explaining a diverse range of geological phenomena …
Plate Tectonics - National Geographic Society
May 21, 2025 · Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that explains how major landforms are created as a result of Earth’s subterranean movements. The theory, which solidified in the 1960s, …
Plate Tectonics: Definition, Theory, Types, Facts, & Evidence
Feb 17, 2023 · The theory of plate tectonics states that the Earth’s solid outer crust, the lithosphere, is divided into plates that move over the semi-liquid upper portion of the mantle, …
Plate Tectonics – Definition, Theory, Plate Boundaries, and …
May 3, 2018 · The theory of plate tectonics is the unifying framework of modern geology. It explains how the Earth’s rigid outer shell — the lithosphere — is divided into large slabs called …
Plate Tectonics—The Unifying Theory of Geology
Feb 11, 2020 · Plate tectonics thus provides “the big picture” of geology; it explains how mountain ranges, earthquakes, volcanoes, shorelines, and other features tend to form where the moving …
Plate Tectonics Theory, Diagrams, Boundaries - GEOLOGY.COM
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, …
What Is Plate Tectonics? - Live Science
Nov 8, 2024 · Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth’s outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over Earth's mantle.
Understanding Plate Tectonics Theory
Oct 21, 2024 · Learn about plate tectonics theory, the key to understanding how Earth’s plates move and create earthquakes, volcanoes, and oceanic features.
Plate Tectonics – Introduction to Earth Science - Virginia Tech
The theory of plate tectonics attributes the movement of massive sections of the Earth’s outer layers with creating earthquakes, mountains, and volcanoes. Many earth processes make …