plate tectonics

noun

plural in form but singular in construction

1

: a theory in geology: the lithosphere of the earth is divided into a small number of plates which float on and travel independently over the mantle and much of the earth's seismic activity occurs at the boundaries of these plates

2

: the process and dynamics of tectonic plate movement

also : a similar process on a body other than earth compare continental drift

plate-tectonic

ˈplāt-tek-ˈtä-nik 

adjective

Examples of plate tectonics in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Craton crumbles Earth's crust, or the outermost shell of the planet, has drastically changed throughout geologic history, mostly due to the work of plate tectonics. —Devika Rao, theweek, 30 Oct. 2024

Io was the most volcanic object circling the sun; Europa’s sprightly terrain suggested something akin to plate tectonics had resurfaced the moon’s frozen face and shuffled material from the surface to the depths. —Nadia Drake, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2024

Europa’s surface is a frozen wonderland with a young but complex history, possibly including icy analogs of plate tectonics and volcanoes. —Mike Sori, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2024

Jupiter’s extreme radiation made Europa’s surface oxygen-rich; if plate tectonics helped feed that material into the ocean, the oxygen could foster complex organic molecules and even life. —David W. Brown, The New Yorker, 15 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

plate tectonics

noun

1

: a theory in geology: the lithosphere of the earth is divided into a small number of moving plates whose movements cause seismic activity (as earthquakes)

2

: the process of plate movement

plate-tectonic adjective