The Earth is composed of four layers: the solid crust, the mantle, the outer core, and the inner core.
This theory explains that Earth's crust is divided into several plates that move over the mantle, interacting at their boundaries.
Tectonic plates consist of Earth's solid crust and the brittle uppermost layer of the mantle, known collectively as the lithosphere. These plates include both oceanic and continental lithosphere.
Types of Tectonic Plates
Tectonic plates are categorized into major, minor, and microplates. Major plates (e.g., Pacific Plate) are over 20 million km², minor plates (e.g., Somali Plate) range from 1 to 20 million km², and microplates (e.g., Madagascar Plate) are less than 1 million km².
The movement of tectonic plates is driven by convection currents in the mantle, caused by the intense heat from the Earth's core.
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