tectonic plates

Cultural  

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

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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

He said "the old order isn't coming back," adding: "The tectonic plates have shifted. There is profound change".

From BBC

The Mendocino Triple Junction lies offshore from Humboldt County, where three major tectonic plates converge.

From Science Daily

The instruments recorded extremely small "low-frequency" earthquakes that occur where tectonic plates slowly slide against or over one another.

From Science Daily

Just as the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon affects ocean tides, it also places subtle stress on tectonic plates.

From Science Daily

Megathrust earthquakes typically occur relatively close to the Earth's surface, where tectonic plates collide.

From Science Daily