Plate tectonics came to be accepted by geoscientists after seafloor spreading was validated in the mid- to late 1960s. The processes that result in plates and shape Earth's crust are called …

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 …

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, …

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 is the scientific understanding of how large, contiguous blocks of the Earth’s outermost layers—the crust and the uppermost mantle—move and interact with one another. …

Nov 8, 2024 · Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth’s outer shell is divided into several plates that glide over Earth's mantle.

Dec 9, 2016 · The meaning of PLATE TECTONICS is a theory in geology: the lithosphere of the earth is divided into a small number of plates which float on and travel independently over the …

Tectonic plates probably developed very early in the Earth's 4.6-billion-year history, and they have been drifting about on the surface ever since-like slow-moving bumper cars repeatedly …

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, …

Jun 9, 2025 · Plate tectonics is the idea that Earth’s surface is made of big moving pieces called tectonic plates. These plates shift slowly, causing earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountains.