plaattektoonika

Plaattektoniek is the scientific theory that describes the large-scale motion of Earth's lithosphere. The lithosphere, the rigid outer layer of the Earth, is broken into several large and numerous smaller pieces called tectonic plates. These plates float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere, a layer of the upper mantle beneath the lithosphere. The movement of these plates is driven by convection currents within the Earth's mantle, where hotter, less dense material rises and cooler, denser material sinks.

The boundaries between these tectonic plates are where most of Earth's geological activity, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, occurs. There are three main types of plate boundaries. At divergent boundaries, plates move apart, creating new crust as magma rises from the mantle. At convergent boundaries, plates collide; one plate may slide beneath the other (subduction), leading to volcanic arcs and deep ocean trenches, or both plates may buckle and fold, forming large mountain ranges. At transform boundaries, plates slide past each other horizontally, often resulting in significant earthquake activity.

The continuous movement and interaction of these tectonic plates have shaped the Earth's surface over millions of years, influencing the distribution of continents, oceans, and major geological features like mountain ranges and rift valleys. The theory of plate tectonics is a fundamental concept in geology and geophysics, explaining a wide range of Earth processes.