Tectonic plates are massive slabs of Earth's lithosphere that float atop the semi-fluid mantle, constantly shifting and ...

The Continental Slide New crust is continually being pushed away from divergent boundaries (where sea-floor spreading occurs), increasing Earth's surface. But the Earth isn't getting any bigger.

Due to the radiative thermal conductivity of the mineral olivine, only oceanic plates over 60 million years old and ...

At constructive plate boundaries, mid-ocean ridges will be formed. ... This usually involves a continental plate and an oceanic plate. The oceanic plate is denser than the continental plate.

Continents and oceans have scientific definitions that underpin international law. The idea of dividing the world into geographical zones is ancient. Sovereignty and influence over natural resources ...

“In the grand scheme of things, plate tectonics is a young theory,” says Brian Savage, a seismologist at the University of Rhode Island. “The plate-tectonic theory is 50 or 60 years old.

At the plate boundary, oceanic crust bumped up against oceanic crust, and continental crust against continental crust. Likely little of interest would have happened, if not for another tectonic ...

Our results show that warm ocean waters contribute to the contrast in mid-latitude winter temperatures between eastern and western continental boundaries not only by warming western boundaries ...

Now, using geochemical data from 225 hot springs, scientists have mapped the boundary between the Indian and Asian continental plates, shedding light on processes occurring deep below the surface.

The vast stretch of ocean between the Americas and Europe may be about to close soon—on a geological timescale. Just before the continents begin to drift back together, an "Atlantic ring of fire ...

The Continental Crush. An ocean floor pushed toward a land mass will always slide under the land mass. This is because the land mass is more buoyant, or lighter, than the ocean floor.