All articles tagged with #plate boundaries
A new study suggests that subduction zones, where one tectonic plate dives beneath another, can spread like a contagion from one oceanic plate to another, potentially explaining the formation of major earthquake and volcano systems like the Ring of Fire. Evidence from ancient geological records and geochemical signatures supports this hypothesis, which could imply similar processes might occur in the Atlantic region in the future.
Earth's surface is divided into tectonic plates, with estimates ranging from 12 to 14 primary plates covering most of the planet. The largest plates include North American, African, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, South American, Antarctic, and Pacific plates. Additionally, there are smaller plates such as the Philippine Sea, Cocos, Nazca, Arabian, and Juan de Fuca. Plate boundaries can further splinter into microplates, with an estimated 57 on Earth. The Pacific Plate is the fastest-moving, and its motion is caused by subduction zones along the Ring of Fire. The future appearance of Earth's plate-encrusted surface remains uncertain.