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.

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tectonic plates

Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire".

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

According to the study, the collision between the African and Eurasian tectonic plates gradually transports these pockets of magma toward the surface.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026

The rate at which tectonic plates are moving past one another in Venezuela is similar to how fast seismic strain is accumulating on the San Andreas fault in California, Jones said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026

Venezuela lies along the boundary between the Caribbean and South American tectonic plates, which are moving past one another.

From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026

The tectonic plates surrounding the Pacific Ocean are converging, or moving toward each other, resulting in a rough arc of subduction faults around the edge of the ocean.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland