Mountains Gallery

Earthquake distribution map

Earth's tectonic plates, artwork. The Earth's surface is divided up into several major plates. These are rocky slabs that float and move on the more fluid layer beneath them. Current direction of movement is indicated by red arrows. The boundaries between plates are geologically active areas, and are the sites of the majority of the world's volcanoes and earthquakes. Plate tectonics, the study of the plates, has revealed a huge amount about the Earth. For instance, South America's east coast appears to fit into Africa's west coast because they were once joined, but the plates that hold them are moving apart. Also, where the Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate, the Himalayas were formed

© GARY HINCKS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Lava dome in crater seen from rim, Mount St

Lava dome in crater seen from rim, Mount St. Helens after 1980 eruption, with Spirit Lake and Mount Rainier in the distance, Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Washington State, United States of America (U.S.A.), North America

© Tony Waltham

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