Tectonics presents original research articles that describe and explain the evolution, structure, and deformation of Earth’s lithosphere including across the range of geologic time.

Tectonics (from Ancient Greek τεκτονικός tektonikós 'pertaining to building ' via Latin tectonicus) [1] are the processes that result in the structure and properties of Earth's crust and its evolution through time.

tectonics, scientific study of the deformation of the rocks that make up the Earth’s crust and the forces that produce such deformation.

May 21, 2025 · The theory of plate tectonics revolutionized the earth sciences by explaining how the movement of geologic plates causes mountain building, volcanoes, and earthquakes.

Jan 28, 2026 · Tectonics is the study of the plates, the forces acting on them, and their motion. NASA has a variety of tectonic data from an assortment of sources, such as synthetic aperture radar …

Jan 21, 2026 · Tectonics is the study of the structural geology of the Earth and other planetary bodies, and the local and regional processes that created that rock geometry. This includes the movements …

Feb 11, 2020 · Plate tectonics thus provides “the big picture” of geology; it explains how mountain ranges, earthquakes, volcanoes, shorelines, and other features tend to form where the moving plates …

The theory of plate tectonics explains processes in the geosphere that are fueled by Earth’s internal heat that have operated over billions of years. These changes can be imperceptible over a human lifetime …

Inside the Earth The size of the Earth -- about 12,750 kilometers (km) in diameter-was known by the ancient Greeks, but it was not until the turn of the 20th century that scientists determined that our …

Explore the internal structure of the Earth, the distribution of plate boundaries, and the forces that drive plate movement. In this topic, you will learn how Earth’s crust is broken into tectonic plates, and how …