plate tectonics

Plate tectonics is the central unifying theory for geology and geophysics. The original definition of plate tectonics has recently been modified to include a description of the driving force as ‘A theory of global tectonics powered by subduction in which the lithosphere is divided into a mosaic of plates, which move on and sink into weaker ductile asthenosphere. Three types of localized plate boundaries form the interconnected global network: new oceanic plate material is created by seafloor spreading at mid-ocean ridges, old oceanic lithosphere sinks at subduction zones, and two plates slide past each other along transform faults. The negative buoyancy of old dense oceanic lithosphere, which sinks in subduction zones, mostly powers plate movements’ Plate tectonics is a special planetary convection style that is characterized by the largely independent motion of lithospheric fragments, with new lithosphere formed at mid-ocean ridges and consumed in subduction zones.