The theory of plate tectonics describes the widescale movements of the lithosphere of
the earth. The model is based on the ideas of continental drift, which first gained acceptance in the early 1900s. The geoscientific community granted the theory even more validity after the notion of seafloor spreading appeared in the late 1950s. Basically, the lithosphere is not whole but instead is separated into either seven or eight major plates, depending on the definition that you use. Every meeting point between plates has its own relative movement, either transform, convergent or divergent. Volcanic activity, mountain creation and earthquakes all occur along these edges, and the plates ...
