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 tiny Juan de Fuca plate is largely responsible for the volcanoes ... The movement of the plates creates three types of tectonic boundaries: convergent, where plates move into one another ...

New research suggests that Earth's first crust, formed over 4.5 billion years ago, already carried the chemical traits we ...

The colorful swirls and stripes that characterize China's Rainbow Mountains would have remained hidden without the epic ...

Earth’s earliest crust, formed over 4.5 billion years ago, has long been thought to have lacked the complex chemical features ...

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 ...

Slab pull occurs where older, denser tectonic plates sink into the mantle at subduction zones. As these older sections of plates sink, newer and less dense sections of plate are pulled along behind.

The discovery of Pontus offers new insights into the history of plate tectonics and how Earth’s surface has evolved over time ...

Oceans are not necessarily a permanent fixture on Earth, as they are able to appear and close due to the work of plate tectonics. More specifically, subduction zones — where tectonic plates slip ...

In the English National Curriculum this film can be used to help teach the following: Physical geography relating to geological timescales and plate tectonics.