Plate tectonics give Earth its mountains, earthquakes, continental drift and maybe even helped give rise to life itself. But ...

New crust is continually being pushed away from divergent boundaries (where sea-floor spreading occurs), increasing Earth's surface. But the Earth isn't getting any bigger. What happens, then, to ...

The diagram below shows the structure of the earth. In geography, taking a slice through a structure to see inside is called a cross section. Continental plates are usually quite thick (between 35 ...

Different plate tectonic settings produce distinctive basin environments where sedimentary rocks are deposited. Download a chart to use in class and an activity for practicing with these concepts: ...

On the South Island, both plates are made up of buoyant continental crust; therefore each plate resists sinking, and instead compression forms the Southern Alps mountain range 2.

If this was the case, then mountains would be spread evenly over the Earth’s surface. We know that this is not the case. Wegener suggested that mountains formed when the edge of a drifting ...

Scientists say they've discovered evidence of a "lost world" lurking deep below the Pacific Ocean, a surprising finding.

To learn why, where, and how earthquakes happen, you need to familiarize your students with the interior of the Earth and a model called plate tectonics. The engine behind the earthquake machine ...

Rupert Sutherland has received research funding from the New Zealand Government. Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington provides funding as a member of The Conversation NZ.