Tectonic Plates (Holt Science and Technology Earth Science pg. 190-212)
Tectonic plates are a block of lithosphere that consists of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of the mantle. They can be as thick as 100 kilometers or as thin as 5 kilometers. The tectonic plates are in the lithosphere. There are 10 major tectonic plates and they are like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Tectonic plates can be all different shapes and sizes. The ring of fire is on the borders of the Pacific plate. Some tectonic plates have both continental and oceanic crust. The South American plate has a full continent and oceanic crust.
Tectonic plates are a block of lithosphere that consists of the crust and the rigid, outermost part of the mantle. They can be as thick as 100 kilometers or as thin as 5 kilometers. The tectonic plates are in the lithosphere. There are 10 major tectonic plates and they are like a giant jigsaw puzzle. Tectonic plates can be all different shapes and sizes. The ring of fire is on the borders of the Pacific plate. Some tectonic plates have both continental and oceanic crust. The South American plate has a full continent and oceanic crust.