SEARCH ALL

FACTS & STATISTICS   

Encyclopedia > Tectonic

Plate tectonics

	Results from FactBites:
	Plate tectonics - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (4019 words) The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century. The key principle of plate tectonics is that the lithosphere exists as separate and distinct tectonic plates, which "float" on the fluid-like asthenosphere. Tectonic plates are comprised of two types of lithosphere: continental and oceanic lithospheres; for example, the African Plate includes the continent and parts of the floor of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. MSN Encarta - Plate Tectonics (577 words) The theory of plate tectonics was formulated during the early 1960s, and it revolutionized the field of geology. Tectonic plates are made of either oceanic or continental crust and the very top part of the mantle, a layer of rock inside the earth. Tectonic plates are able to float upon the fluid asthenosphere because they are made of rigid lithosphere.
	More results at FactBites »