tectonic plates

1. The dozen or so plates that make up the surface of the Earth. Their motion is studied in the field of plate tectonics.

The plates are not the same as the continents. The North American plate, for example, extends from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean to the west coast of the United States and Canada. These plates are about thirty miles thick.

Example Sentences

The upper layers of the Earth in the vast Pacific region are split into sections - tectonic plates - which are all moving relative to one another.

From BBC

Afghanistan is very prone to earthquakes because of its location on top of a number of fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

From BBC

The country is very prone to earthquakes because it is located on top of a number of fault lines where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates meet.

From BBC

Shallow earthquakes are common in Afghanistan, particularly in the foothills of the Himalayas where tectonic plates are sliding past each other.

From BBC

Turkey is located at the intersection of three major tectonic plates, and experiences frequent seismic activity as a result.

From BBC