tectonic plates!
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The Earth's crust -
Tectonic plates - How do they move? - How do they create landforms and what is the effect of plate movement?
The Earth's crust -
Tectonic plates - How do they move? - How do they create landforms and what is the effect of plate movement?
![Picture](/uploads/2/9/9/2/29921743/6313175.jpg?594)
A tectonic plate is a overly large irregularly shaped section of solid rock, composed of both the continental and oceanic lithosphere. Tectonic plates are seen to be developed 4.6 billion years ago, and thought to of been floating on the surface, regurarly clamming, colliding and retracting each other. After that the plates share the remaining slabs of rock. Despite their large shape, you can't see most plates or boundaries as they are hidden deep below the oceans surface.Like many features located on the Earth's surface, plates can change over time. The composed remains of the Oceanic lithosphere can easily sink beneath another plate. However this is a lighter continental plate, meaning this plate will eventually dis merge completely.
The size and thickness of Tectonic plates can vary rapidly, from either a few hundred or to a couple thousand km's. Although we have many Tectonic plates globally, it has been proven that the Pacific and Antarctic plates is the largest plate known to the human eye. The thickness can start from 15 km's at the Oceanic lithosphere, to up to 200km's at the ancient Continental lithosphere, located in North and South America.
There is different styles and locations of the plates, for example ocean ridges, island arcs, ocean trenches and fold mountains.
The size and thickness of Tectonic plates can vary rapidly, from either a few hundred or to a couple thousand km's. Although we have many Tectonic plates globally, it has been proven that the Pacific and Antarctic plates is the largest plate known to the human eye. The thickness can start from 15 km's at the Oceanic lithosphere, to up to 200km's at the ancient Continental lithosphere, located in North and South America.
There is different styles and locations of the plates, for example ocean ridges, island arcs, ocean trenches and fold mountains.