Why do tectonic plates shift

The site is self-funded and your support is really appreciated. If you've found the resources on this site useful please consider making a secure donation via PayPal to support the development of the site. Why do tectonic plates move? Why do plates move? Convection currents in the mantle. Related Topics Use the images below to explore related GeoTopics. Continental Drift.

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Explore them with MapMaker, National Geographic's classroom interactive mapping tool. Scientists look to these landforms and geologic events as evidence of plate tectonics, helping them both understand what happened in the past as well as predict what Earth will look like in the future. The five activities in the Plate Tectonics module build a systems view of plate tectonics, engaging students in data exploration about plate boundaries and experimentation via computer-based models of plate motion.

Join our community of educators and receive the latest information on National Geographic's resources for you and your students. Skip to content. Twitter Facebook Pinterest Google Classroom. Background Info Vocabulary. Plate tectonics is driven by a variety of forces: dynamic movement in the mantle , dense oceanic crust interacting with the ductile asthenosphere , even the rotation of the planet.

Geologist s studying the Earth use scientific observation and evidence to construct a picture of what the Earth looked like at different periods in the geologic past. Use this map gallery to better understand how plate tectonics created the ocean and continents we are familiar with today. Also called the geosphere. The newly-formed plates slide sideways off these high areas, pushing the plate in front of them resulting in a ridge-push mechanism.

How plate movement operates is being revised all the time as scientists unearth new evidence, however, the detail still remains highly controversial. The Geological Society Plate Tectonics. Pioneers of plate tectonics What is a plate? Plate margins Plate tectonics of the UK.