Plate tectonics (from the Late Latin tectonicus, from the Greek: "pertaining to building")[1] is a scientific theory which

h describes the large scale motions of Earth's lithosphere. The theory builds on the older concepts of continental drift, developed during the first decades of the 20th century (one of the most famous advocates was Alfred Wegener), and was accepted by the majority of the geoscientific community when the concepts of seafloor spreading were developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The lithosphere is broken up into what are called tectonic plates. In the case of the Earth, there are currently seven or eight major (depending on how they are defined) and many minor plates. The lithospheric plates ride on the asthenosphere. These plates move in relation to one another at one of three types of plate boundaries: convergent, or collisional boundaries; divergent boundaries, also called spreading centers; and conservative transform boundaries. Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along these plate boundaries. The lateral relative movement of the plates varies, though it is typically 0100 mm annually.[2]

In plate tectonics, a divergent boundary or divergent plate boundary (also known as a constructive boundary or an extensional boundary) is a linear feature that exists between two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other. Divergent boundaries within continents initially produce rifts which produce rift valleys. Most active divergent plate boundaries occur between oceanic plates and exist as mid-oceanic ridges. Divergent boundaries also form volcanic islands which occur when the plates move apart to produce gaps which molten lava rises to fill.

In plate tectonics, a convergent boundary, also known as a destructive plate boundary (because of subduction), is an actively deforming region where two (or more) tectonic plates or fragments of lithosphere move toward one another and collide. As a result of pressure, friction, and plate material melting in the mantle, earthquakes and volcanoes are common near convergent boundaries. When two plates move towards one another, they form either a subduction zone or a continental collision. This depends on the nature of the plates involved. In a subduction zone, the subducting plate, which is normally a plate with oceanic crust, moves beneath the other plate, which can be made of either oceanic or continental crust. During collisions between two continental plates, large mountain ranges, such as the Himalayas are formed.

Transform Plate Boundaries are locations where two plates slide past one another. The fracture zone that forms a transform plate boundary is known as a transform fault. Most transform faults are found in the ocean basin and connect offsets in the mid-ocean ridges. A smaller number connect midocean ridges and subduction zones.

The Ten Largest 1 Earthquakes Since 1900 Below is a list of the largest earthquakes on record in the world. Magnitude, date, and location are also given. Location 1. Chile 2. Prince William Sound, Alaska 3. Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands 4. Japan 5. Kamchatka 6. Off western coast of Sumatra, Indonesia Date May 22, 1960 March 28, 19643 March 9, 1957 March 11, 2011 Nov. 4, 1952 Dec. 26, 2004 Jan. 31, 1906 Feb. 27, 2010 Feb. 4, 1965 Magnitude2 9.5 9.2 9.1 9.0 9.0 9.0 8.8 8.8 8.7

7. Off the coast of Ecuador 8. Offshore Maule, Chile 9. Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands

10. Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

March 28, 2005

8.7