The Earth is made up of different layers: Therefore, instead of tectonic plates moving because of the convection currents, evidence suggests it is the plates that drive the convection. Slab pull ...

most rigid Earth layer, and it's also a key player in the planet's tectonic activity. In fact, the lithosphere is separated ...

The movement of these tectonic plates leads to earthquakes and ... in the centre of the Earth, and is the hottest layer. It is spherical and solid and made up of iron and nickel.

Ask students what layer of the Earth is shown through ... in other places it exposes the white part of the egg). This is how Earth's tectonic plates move. This results in formations of mountains ...

Below the lithosphere is the asthenosphere — a viscous layer kept malleable by heat deep within the Earth. It lubricates the undersides of Earth's tectonic plates, allowing the lithosphere to move.

Emerging evidence suggests that plate tectonics, or the recycling of Earth's crust, may have begun much earlier than ...

Like the Earth, the moon started off with a thick layer of molten rock on its surface. Unlike the Earth, though, the moon’s surface did not cool to form tectonic plates. Instead, it has a thick crust ...

Most scientists think that's not a coincidence. By dragging huge chunks of crust into the mantle, Earth's middle layer, plate tectonics pulls carbon from the planet's surface and atmosphere ...

Earth’s surface is a dynamic, ever-changing landscape. Massive crustal plates shift, creating mountains, earthquakes, and volcanic activity. This process, known as plate tectonics, may be the ...