What are Tectonic Plates?

Tectonic plates are large, rigid pieces of the Earth's lithosphere that move and interact with each other. There are several major plates, such as the Pacific Plate, North American Plate, Eurasian Plate, and African Plate, as well as numerous smaller plates.

Plate Boundaries

Plate boundaries are the areas where tectonic plates meet. There are three main types of plate boundaries:

Divergent Boundaries: where plates move away from each other, often resulting in the formation of new crust, such as mid-ocean ridges.
Convergent Boundaries: where plates move toward each other, leading to the formation of mountain ranges, deep ocean trenches, and volcanic activity.
Transform Boundaries: where plates slide past each other, causing earthquakes along fault lines.

Tectonic Processes

Tectonic processes include:

Subduction: the process where one tectonic plate is forced beneath another, often resulting in the formation of volcanic arcs and deep ocean trenches.
Rift Zone: an area where the Earth's crust is being pulled apart, often leading to the formation of rift valleys and new crust.
Folding and Faulting: the bending and breaking of the Earth's crust, leading to the formation of mountain ranges and earthquakes.