Tectonic Plates Near Me

Here are two plate tectonics maps which show more detail than the maps above.

Tectonic plates near me.

The list of tectonic plates consists proved and proposed tectonic plates of the earth. Many of the mountains and some of the valleys in southern california were formed by the san andreas fault system the tectonic boundary between the pacific and north american tectonic plates which runs to the east of san diego county from the gulf of california up through the salton sea and into the los angeles region. Shaded relief map of the u s. Highlighting different tectonic settings.

Major tectonic plates by size pacific plate 103 300 000 sq km the pacific plate is estimated to be 103 300 000 square kilometers in size. It is the longest. A part of the eurasian plate is named. Active ridges continental extensions transform faults ridge spreading rates and directions continental rifts subduction and overthrust zones and generalized volcanic activity.

There are a total of seven major tectonic plates which cover nearly 95 of the earth s surface. The earth s plates jostle about in fits and starts that are punctuated with earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Superimposed in red are the more than 400 national park system sites. Geological survey map of tectonic plates show 21 of the major plates as well as their movements and boundaries.

Letter codes are abbreviations for parks on tectonic settings pages and the tectonic settings master list on the plate tectonics our national parks page. Tectonic plates are pieces of earth s crust and uppermost mantle together referred to as the lithosphere the plates are around 100 km 62 mi thick and consist of two principal types of material. The concept of plate tectonics was formulated in the 1960s. The crust of our planet is cracked into seven large and many other smaller slabs of rock called plates averaging about 50 miles thick.

As they move only inches every year and depending on the direction of that movement they collide forming deep ocean trenches mountains volcanoes and generating earthquakes. The northern tip of the juan de fuca plate is sometimes considered to be the separate explorer plate. According to the theory earth has a rigid outer layer known as the lithosphere which is typically about 100 km 60 miles thick and overlies a plastic moldable partially molten layer called the asthenosphere the lithosphere is broken up into seven very large continental and ocean sized plates six or seven medium sized regional. This is a list of tectonic plates on earth s surface.

Plates which do not longer exist are not listed. Found underneath the pacific ocean it is the largest of all tectonic plates. Other plates the southern tip of the juan de fuca plate is often considered a separate plate called gorda plate. Oceanic crust also called sima from silicon and magnesium and continental crust sial from silicon and aluminium.