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tectonic plate |
Also found in: Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.02 sec. |
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tectonic plate [tek′tän·ik ′plāt] (geology) Any one of the internally rigid crustal blocks of the lithosphere which move horizontally across the earth's surface relative to one another. Also known as crustal plate. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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| On the opposite end of a tectonic plate from its spreading zone may be a subduction zone, a span where two plates collide and one plate is forced beneath the other. Geologists have a convincing explanation: major earthquakes occur when tectonic plates beneath large mountains shift and snap. Beneath Los Angeles, a web of faults is moving in different directions and different rates, squeezed by the pressure of the Pacific tectonic plate pushing against the North American plate at the San Andreas Fault. |
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