Geology Plate Tectonics?

Question

Can someone pleas explain what pate tectonics is? Please exlpain it so that I can understand. I am a 13 year old student so please try not to inlcude so much technical terms.

Thanks!

Answer 1

The earth's crust is divided into sections called tectonic plates.  These plates rest on a sea of magma, causing them to move around.  Nearby plates will often collide or rub against each other, which triggers earthquakes, creates volcanoes, and changes the location and shape of geography.

Answer 2

Basically, plate tectonics is a theory that tries to explain why we have earthquakes and volconoes and things like that. It states that the earth is big ball of molten rock and metal with a thin layer of rock on top called the "crust". Kinda like a big egg with a hard shell. The more involved part of it is that the crust is broken into "plates" which roughly correspond to the continents. These plates "float" on the molten earth and slowly move about the globe. When two plates bump into each other thats when we get earthquakes.

Answer 3

Picture the crust of the earth as a big jigsaw puzzle.  The puzzle pieces are moving, actually they are "floating" on magma.  Sometimes they crash into each other, and may form mountains.  Sometimes they slide one under the other.  This is called subduction.  Sometimes the puzzle pieces slide sideways against each other.  They may get stuck, then after a while, just slip loose.  This movement of the plates can cause earthquakes.  Where the plates meet are fault lines.

Our continents are going along for the ride.  Africa used to lay along the side of South America, and they are still moving apart.  When India rammed into Asia, the Himalayan Mountains formed.  Of course all this takes thousands, even millions of years.