The Earth's plates jostle about in fits and starts that are punctuated with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. 4 min read There are a few handfuls of major plates and dozens of smaller, or minor ...

While tectonic plates help define the continents ... we may need to rethink one of the most basic geographic facts we've learned since childhood.

Earth's crust is the planet's outermost layer. It is made of solid rock and sits on top of another layer, called the mantle. The mantle flows and stretches like bubble gum, while the crust above ...