Plate Tectonics
Latest about plate tectonics

A single massive tectonic collision? That's not how the Himalayas came to be, scientists say
By Sascha Pare published
The world's highest mountain system may have reached 60% of its current elevation before the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates crashed into each other, giving the peaks an extra push.

Earth's plate tectonics traced back to 'tipping point' 3.2 billion years ago
By Stephanie Pappas published
Researchers analyzing ancient deposits in Australia found evidence that Earth's layers started to get mixed up — a fingerprint of plate tectonics — about 1.3 billion years after the planet formed.

Mushroom-shaped superplume of scorching hot rock may be splitting Africa in 2
By Charles Q. Choi published
Strange, never-before-seen movements in the East Africa Rift Valley appear to be driven by super-heated rock from deep beneath Earth's surface.

Is Africa splitting into two continents?
By Charles Q. Choi published
Will the East African Rift split the continent and create a new ocean, or will it fizzle out?

Watch 'unprecedented' animation showcasing 100 million years of Earth history
By Stephanie Pappas published
A new model shows how the planet's surface evolved over the past 100 million years, from the shifting of tectonic plates to the movement of sediments.

Fault lines: Facts about cracks in the Earth
By Becky Oskin last updated
Faults in the Earth are categorized into three general groups based on the sense of slip, or movement, that occur along them during earthquakes.

Did Mount Everest Really Shrink? Scientists Measure Peak Again
By Tia Ghose last updated
Scientists in India are planning to measure Mount Everest again, in order to settle the question of whether it shrank in the last earthquake.

Scientists figure out what happens to Earth's disappearing crust
By Yasemin Saplakoglu last updated
Earth's outer shell is made of rocky rafts that dive beneath each other. The diving plates weaken, but do not break, according to a new study.
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