Platetectonic
Platetectonic is a term used in planetary science to describe the study of tectonic processes on planetary bodies, including Earth, and to comparisons across worlds of how lithospheric deformation unfolds under different materials, thermal histories, and external forces. The concept encompasses Earth’s well-established plate tectonics as well as alternative tectonic regimes inferred on other planets and moons.
In Earth, platetectonics often centers on plate tectonics: rigid lithospheric plates move atop the ductile mantle,
Methods and data in platetectonics combine remote sensing, gravity and topography measurements, and, where possible, seismic
Examples of bodies studied include Earth as the reference, Mars with remnants of ancient tectonics, Venus with