Plate boundaries are where the action is. A large fraction of all earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and mountain building occurs at plate boundaries. It is also where most of the people on Earth live.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. If you've ever wondered where — and why — earthquakes happen the most, look no further than a new ...

The first ruptures in early Earth’s skin formed because of the weakness of rock minerals merely a millimeter wide, two scientists propose. The small minerals’ behavior created boundaries defining ...

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. Most of the world's earthquakes occur along the boundaries between Earth's constantly moving ...

It’s right there in the name: “plate tectonics.” Geology’s organizing theory hinges on plates—thin, interlocking pieces of Earth’s rocky skin. Plates’ movements explain earthquakes, volcanoes, ...

It's well known that earthquakes can rock fault-filled places like the U.S. West Coast. But why do earthquakes happen in the middle of tectonic plates? When you purchase through links on our site, we ...

A new analysis shows that most (59%) plate boundaries have a relative velocity vector that is markedly oblique (greater than 22°) to the boundary normal. A significant proportion (14%) have vectors ...

Scientists have identified a long-lost tectonic plate in the west Pacific Ocean. Called Pontus, the 'mega-plate' was once 15 million square miles, about a quarter the size of the Pacific Ocean today.

The road to hell may be paved with good intentions, but at least there’s now a map to get you there. The map is the first to show the whereabouts of almost 100 massive remnants of what were once ...

This study is led by Prof. Yong-Fei Zheng at University of Science and Technology of China. It focuses on the development of tectonic processes along convergent plate margins through inspection of ...