Advanced Topics
In a nutshell: Plate tectonics explains how Earth's plates move and reshape the planet's surface.
## Moving Plates Beneath Our Feet
The theory of plate tectonics explains how Earth's outer shell is divided into giant pieces called plates that slowly shift over time. These movements create mountains, earthquakes, and volcanoes.
### Types of Plate Boundaries
- **Divergent**: Plates move apart, forming new crust (like the Mid-Atlantic Ridge).
- **Convergent**: Plates collide, causing mountains or subduction zones.
- **Transform**: Plates slide past each other, often causing earthquakes.
### Why Plates Move
Heat from inside Earth causes convection currents in the mantle, pushing plates around.
## Real-World Impacts
Understanding plate tectonics helps predict earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, making communities safer.
Examples
- Mapping earthquake zones along the San Andreas Fault.
- Studying the formation of the Himalayas from colliding plates.
Key terms
- Plate Tectonics
- The theory that Earth's surface is made of moving plates.
- Subduction
- When one plate slides under another.
- Fault
- A crack in Earth's crust where movement occurs.