PLATETECTONICS

have a much better understanding of how our planet has been shaped by plate-tectonic processes. We now know that, directly or indirectly, plate tectonics influences nearly all geologic processes, past and present. Indeed, the notion that the entire Earth's surface is continually shifting has profoundly changed the way we view our world.

People benefit from, and are at the mercy of, the forces and consequences of plate tectonics. With little or no warning, an earthquake or volcanic eruption can unleash bursts of energy far more powerful than anything we can generate. While we have no control over plate-tectonic processes, we now have the knowledge to learn from them. The more we know about plate tectonics, the better we can appreciate the grandeur and beauty of the land upon which we live, as well as the occasional violent displays of the Earth's awesome power.

In geologic terms, a plate is a large, rigid slab of solid rock. The word tectonics comes from the Greek root "to build." Putting these two words together

Some topics in this essay:
Matuyama Japan, Harold Jeffreys, Plate Tectonics, War II, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, South America, World War, Earth Wegener, Hutton Scottish, Europe Africa, ocean floor, plate tectonics, magnetic field, earth's magnetic, earth's magnetic field, theory plate, earth's surface, mid-ocean ridge, continental drift, theory plate tectonics, seafloor spreading, ridge crest, super continent pangaea, submarine mountain chain, seafloor spreading hypothesis,