The dynamic nature of Earth

 

The crust of the Earth is not made up of one solid piece – it is split into plates which float on the upper portion of the mantle. There are two types of plate:

1. dense oceanic crust
2. less dense thick continental crust

These plates move slowly and either move apart, towards or past each other.

The point at which these plates meet is known as a ‘plate margin’. It is at the plate margins where the most tectonic activity and tectonic hazards, such as volcanoes and earthquakes, occur.

source: BBC BITESIZE website

Tectonic plates map

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