Understanding Earth's Tectonic Plates and Their Boundaries

The Earth's lithosphere is divided into tectonic plates, including seven major and many minor ones. These rigid plates float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath, constantly moving, though often only centimeters each year.

There are three types of plate boundaries: divergent where plates move apart, convergent where they come together, and transform where plates slide past one another. Each boundary type leads to distinct geological features and events.

Mountains can form at convergent boundaries where plate collision forces the Earth's crust upward. The Himalayas were created by the Indian Plate pushing against the Eurasian Plate, and are still rising.

The Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the world's oceans, is a result of the Pacific Plate subducting beneath the smaller Mariana Plate. These trenches are hotspots for seismic activity.

At divergent boundaries in the ocean, mid-ocean ridges form as magma rises up, creating new crust. The longest mountain range is the underwater Mid-Atlantic Ridge, spanning an impressive 65,000 kilometers.

Volcanoes often form along plate boundaries due to subduction or rifts. The 'Ring of Fire' is a volcanic belt formed by the numerous volcanoes encircling the Pacific Plate, home to over 75% of the world's active and dormant volcanoes.

Plate movements over millions of years result in the supercontinent cycle, where Earth's landmasses periodically merge into a supercontinent and then break apart. The last supercontinent, Pangaea, began breaking apart about 175 million years ago.

In 2011, Japan's Honshu Island shifted 2.4 meters eastward in a single day due to a massive earthquake, showing dramatic plate movement.