Tectonic plate

The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century.

A tectonic plate is a piece of the Earth's crust (or lithosphere). The surface of the Earth consists of seven major tectonic plates and many more minor ones.

Such plates move over time through a process known as continental drift, which is explained by the theory of plate tectonics.

See also

• List of tectonic plates
• picture of tectonic plates