Geology’s Theory of Everything continues successfully to defend its title. ■ Curious about the world? To enjoy our mind-expanding science coverage, sign up to Simply Science, our weekly ...

Plate tectonics is the theory that Earth's outer layer is made up of plates, which have moved throughout Earth's history. The theory explains the how and why behind mountains, volcanoes ...

Map of the Word with lines marking boundaries of tectonic plates. Plate tectonics is a theory that explains how Earth’s lithosphere—its upper mantle and crust—is split into sections called ...

The Earth is made of different layers: the core, mantle and crust. Plate tectonic theory shows that the crust of the Earth is split into plates (pieces of the Earth’s crust). The movement of ...

According to plate tectonics theory, Earth's outer shell is divided into multiple plates that slowly glide over the mantle. This slowly changes Earth's surface over time by merging, or separating ...