Tectonics (from Ancient Greek τεκτονικός tektonikós 'pertaining to building ' via Latin tectonicus) [1] are the processes that result in the structure and properties of Earth's crust and its evolution through time.

Tectonics presents original research articles that describe and explain the evolution, structure, and deformation of Earth’s lithosphere including across the range of geologic time.

tectonics, scientific study of the deformation of the rocks that make up the Earth’s crust and the forces that produce such deformation.

Feb 11, 2020 · Plate tectonics thus provides “the big picture” of geology; it explains how mountain ranges, earthquakes, volcanoes, shorelines, and other features tend to form where the moving plates …

May 21, 2025 · The theory of plate tectonics revolutionized the earth sciences by explaining how the movement of geologic plates causes mountain building, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

Apr 30, 2025 · The rise of continents and the accumulation of sediments in trenches since about three billion years ago has had a crucial role in the emergence and evolution of plate tectonics on Earth.

Explore the internal structure of the Earth, the distribution of plate boundaries, and the forces that drive plate movement. In this topic, you will learn how Earth’s crust is broken into tectonic plates, and how …

What is Plate Tectonics? Plate tectonics is a theory about how Earth's lithosphere is divided into a series of rigid plates; and, how movements of these plates produce earthquakes, volcanoes, ocean …

: a branch of geology concerned with the structure of the crust of a planet (such as the earth) or moon and especially with the formation of folds and faults in it. tecton (ic) + -ics, probably after German …

Plate tectonics is the scientific theory explaining the movement of the earth’s crust. It is widely accepted by scientists today. Recall that both continental landmasses and the ocean floor are part of the …