plate tectonics

Introduction

CE5

Plate tectonics: Map of the world showing major plates and plate boundaries

CE5

Plate tectonics: Schematic model of the oceanic crust, showing the three types of plate boundaries

plate tectonics, theory that unifies many of the features and characteristics of continental drift and seafloor spreading into a coherent model and has revolutionized geologists' understanding of continents, ocean basins, mountains, and earth history.

Sections in this article:

Introduction
Movement of the Continents
Plate Boundary Conditions
Development of Plate Tectonics Theory
Bibliography

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Geology and Oceanography